BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — DeVonta Smith enjoyed his first international game experience last September, when the Philadelphia Eagles opened what became a Super Bowl championship season by beating the Green Bay Packers in Brazil in the NFL’s first game in South America.
The fifth-year wide receiver is looking forward to the next one. With the NFL now able to schedule up to eight out-of-country games each season, there’s a good chance that Smith will get another opportunity during his career.
The league’s regular-season venue list includes Spain for the first time this year, with the Miami Dolphins giving up a home game to play in Madrid against an opponent to be announced on Tuesday.
Smith was doing some football ambassador work on a recent visit to Barcelona, where he watched his first soccer match — the latest edition of the famed El Clasico rivalry between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. He said he’s confident the NFL game will catch on in Spain as it has elsewhere.
“It’s just a different culture over here, so a lot of people may not exactly know what’s going on,” Smith said. “Just getting over here to showcase the talent so they can know more about the sport.”
The Eagles, who will host the Dallas Cowboys in the 2025 kickoff game on Sept. 4, will likely not be among the international participants this season for the seven games played out of the U.S. Their only 2025 opponent slated as the home team for an international game is the Los Angeles Chargers, who will play in Sao Paolo, Brazil, where the league is unlikely to send the Eagles for a second straight year.
The Dolphins are the home team for the game in Madrid. Others on the docket this season are Berlin (Indianapolis Colts), Dublin (Pittsburgh Steelers) and three games in London (Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets).
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