Miami Dolphins Claim First Win in Madrid

The Miami Dolphins, led by Tua Tagovailoa, secured their first victory of the NFL season against the Washington Commanders on Sunday. This match marked the league’s first official game held in Madrid, Spain.

Tagovailoa had a solid game, completing 14 of 20 passes for a total of 171 yards, although he was sacked three times. The Dolphins primarily relied on running back Devon Ashen, who rushed for 120 yards on 21 carries while also catching five passes for 45 yards. In a tight finish, Miami triumphed 16-13 in overtime.

This match was the last international game of the current NFL season. When discussing future international match locations, Tagovailoa mentioned Hawaii—his home state where many of his relatives still reside—as a top choice. However, he humorously noted that waking up at 4 a.m. in Spain to watch a game was not ideal.

“But Europe? Well, I think it would be interesting to hang out in Jerusalem, although I’m not really sure how great that would be,” he said, light-heartedly debating the location.

Currently, regular NFL season games take place in various countries including Brazil, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom. However, there are no ongoing plans to introduce games in Asia or the Middle East, although NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has indicated interest in expanding into Asia after hosting events in Australia.

Goodell expressed, “I think the next step for Australia is probably going into Asia. We’re committed to making the NFL a global sport and hope to have 16 games so that everyone gets to play one international game a year.”