Bengals to play Falcons in Madrid Week 9

The NFL said on May 12 that the Cincinnati Bengals will play the Atlanta Falcons in the 2026 NFL Madrid Game, giving the league a Week 9 matchup in Spain as part of its expanding international schedule. The game is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 8, at Bernabéu Stadium, the home of Real Madrid C.F., with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. local time and 9:30 a.m. (media.nfl.com) ET. Atlanta is the designated home team for the game, according to league and team announcements. The matchup was disclosed two days before the league’s full 2026 schedule release on Thursday night. ### Which teams are going to Madrid, and when will they play? (media.nfl.com) The Bengals and Falcons are the teams selected for the NFL’s 2026 game in Madrid, the league said in a release issued from Spain on May 12. The game falls in Week 9 of the regular season and will be played on Nov. 8. Bernabéu Stadium will host the game at 3:30 p.m. Central European Time, which is 9:30 a.m. on the U.S. East Coast, according to the NFL and the Falcons. NFL Network and NFL+ were listed as broadcast outlets in the league’s schedule-release coverage. (media.nfl.com) ### Why is Atlanta listed as the home team? The Falcons were announced on March 3 as one of the participating teams for the 2026 NFL Madrid game. The league said at that time that Atlanta would be involved in the return to the Bernabéu. (media.nfl.com) Atlanta’s own 2026 opponents page later noted that the Cincinnati game, ordinarily part of the Falcons’ home schedule, would be played in Madrid instead. That means the international game counts as one of Atlanta’s home dates for scheduling purposes. ### How does this fit into the NFL’s 2026 international plan? (media.nfl.com) The NFL said on May 13 that it will stage a record nine international games in 2026 across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums. Madrid is one stop on that slate, alongside games in Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, London, Paris, Munich and Mexico City. (media.nfl.com) Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president of club business, major events and international, said in the league release that the 2026 season would be the league’s “most expansive and ambitious international slate yet.” The NFL said 62 regular-season games had already been played outside the United States before the 2026 lineup. (atlantafalcons.com) ### What do we know about Madrid as an NFL host city? Madrid hosted an NFL regular-season game in 2025, and the league is returning to the Spanish capital for a second straight season, according to NFL schedule materials. The 2026 game will again be played at Bernabéu Stadium. (media.nfl.com) The NFL’s Madrid game information page says the 2026 matchup will feature Cincinnati against Atlanta on Sunday, Nov. 8. The Falcons also said official travel packages for fans were being offered through On Location, the league’s hospitality provider. ### What else has the league revealed ahead of the full schedule release? (media.nfl.com) The NFL and ESPN announced that the Denver Broncos will face the Kansas City Chiefs in the Week 1 “Monday Night Football” opener on Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET. NFL Football Operations said the matchup had been set, though one league page said the location had not yet been announced; NFL.com’s game story said Kansas City would host. (operations.nfl.com) The league said the rest of the 2026 regular-season schedule will be released on May 14 at 8 p.m. ET. Coverage is scheduled on NFL Network, ESPN, the ESPN App and NFL+, with additional international and prime-time details due in that rollout. (nfl.com) (media.nfl.com) (nfl.com)