Madrid is preparing for a historic event — the first official National Football League (NFL) game in Spain, which will take place at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium this Sunday. It is expected that 83,000 people will attend the event. To ensure security and maintain order, 425 agents from the Municipal Police and five units from SAMUR-Protección Civil will be deployed.
Madrid's Deputy Mayor, Inma Sanz, detailed that due to the large number of attendees, there may be overcrowding in public spaces at certain times, affecting both pedestrian and motorized traffic. To minimize this impact, a series of measures have been implemented, including a special operation involving Municipal Police and Mobility Agents, complemented by SAMUR-Protección Civil medical staff. The game will start at 15:30 and end at 19:00. Stadium gates will be open from 11:30 to 20:00 to avoid crowds, and Sanz has recommended that the public use public transport and avoid private vehicles in the area.
Consequently, from 6:00 on November 15 to 20:00 on November 16, there will be traffic restrictions on several streets, including Avenida de Concha Espina between Paseo de la Castellana and Calle de Serrano, and Calle Padre Damián between Profesor Waksman and Plaza de los Sagrados Corazones. Other affected streets include Rafael Salgado, Doctor Fleming, San Juan de La Salle, Marceliano Santamaría, and Santo Domingo de Silos. The Paseo de la Habana and Segre will also be affected. Accredited residents will be able to access the restricted roads, except for the section of Calle Padre Damián between Rafael Salgado and Plaza de los Sagrados Corazones, where access will not be permitted for security reasons. Additionally, parking will be prohibited from early Sunday on Plaza de Lima, Avenida de Concha Espina, Plaza de los Sagrados Corazones, Calle de Padre Damián, Calle de Rafael Salgado, and the lateral side of Paseo de la Castellana.
This event is part of the NFL's expansion strategy and has a significant economic impact. The economic effect is estimated at 70 million euros, with the restaurant and tourism sectors in Madrid expected to generate between 10.6 and 21.2 million euros. Approximately half of the attendees are expected to be international tourists, mainly from the US and neighboring European countries, who plan to stay in Madrid for an average of up to four days. Their average daily spending in restaurants and bars is estimated to be between 50 and 100 euros. Another 20,000 attendees are expected to be national tourists traveling specifically for the game, with an average stay of two days. Their average daily spending in the hospitality sector is estimated to be between 40 and 80 euros. The remaining 24,000 attendees will be local residents from the Madrid region and the capital, who are expected to make a one-time expenditure of between 25 and 50 euros on the day of the game.
The President of the Madrid Region, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, emphasized that with the first NFL game in Spain being held at the world's best sports stadium, Madrid reinforces its position as a leading destination for major international sporting events. Peter O'Reilly, the NFL's Executive Vice President of International Business and Events, stated, "We want this game to feel like a mini Super Bowl."
The event will be accompanied by city-wide celebrations. Three giant helmets in front of the Cibeles Palace, customized Meninas in team colors, and a mini flag football field have introduced the NFL culture to Madrilenians. During the halftime show, Argentine producer Bizarrap and Puerto Rican artist Daddy Yankee will perform their collaboration "BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 66" for the first time.
