'I'm in Lamine Yamal's locker' NFL players startruck in Madrid — SkimNews
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- Ted Karrass, the 6ft 4in, 310lb Bengals offensive lineman, revealed he has been using Lamine Yamal's locker while the team trains at Spain's national team facility, La Ciudad del Futbol, calling it 'a big honour' and 'cool to be in the vicinity of world champions' after Spain's World Cup win.
- Cincinnati Bengals face the Atlanta Falcons at the Bernabeu on Sunday with kickoff at 2.30pm and live Sky Sports NFL coverage from 2pm, the NFL's second game in Madrid in successive years.
- Tee Higgins called the trip a landmark in his career and his first crossing of the Atlantic to Europe, brought his family with him, and said Kylian Mbappé in the stands would be 'dope' while marvelling at how fast he dribbles.
- Kylian Mbappé suggested he could attend after Real Madrid's away fixture against Valencia on Saturday evening, having tried American football with Bijan Robinson at a promotional event the previous week.
- Bijan Robinson said he met Vinícius Júnior through a mutual jeweller and caught up with Jude Bellingham on Thursday; he leads the NFL with 780 rushing yards through eight weeks but has gone four outings without a 100-yard game, saying 'I've got to be better for this team.'
- NFL international games reach a record nine in the 2026 campaign, with Madrid the seventh after Paris and Munich and Mexico City completing the slate later this month; last year's Madrid debut saw the Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Commanders.
Why it matters: The NFL's overseas push is now a fixed schedule: Madrid hosts a second straight game after Paris, and 2026 runs to a record nine international games, with Munich and Mexico City to come. For the Bengals and Falcons, one matchup doubles as a European showcase, with Mbappé and Yamal supplying the football star power the league is courting.
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