The NFL showcased the values ​​of many Spaniards and the friendship of two Nations

Yesterday, the National Football League (NFL) held a game at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid.

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It was the first time the NFL had held a game in Spain. That game pitted the Miami Dolphins against the Washington Commanders. There were three things I particularly liked.

Militares de los tres Ejércitos y de la UME han participado en la ceremonia de apertura del partido de la NFL entre los Miami Dolphins y los Washington Commanders en el #SantiagoBernabéu.

Han portado la bandera de España y la de Estados Unidos junto a militares estadounidenses.… pic.twitter.com/2UwgD0GAEq

— Estado Mayor Defensa 🇪🇸 (@EMADmde) November 16, 2025

First, before the match began, Spanish and American military personnel unfurled their national flags on the field (I must admit I loved seeing them together), as you can see above in a video published by the Spanish Joint Chiefs of Staff (EMAD). Thus, the match served as a tribute to those who serve both countries in their Armed Forces, a gesture that is very common at sporting events in the United States but not in Spain, despite the fact that millions of Spaniards feel a deep affection and great pride for our Armed Forces.

Secondly, the national anthems of the United States (sung by Karina Pasian, above) and Spain (below this paragraph) were played, the latter performed by the Music Unit of the Madrid Marine Infantry Group (AGRUMAD). It's a nice gesture, but in Spain it's only common at national team matches or Copa del Rey finals. It's as if our national anthem has been sidelined.

Thirdly, I think it's important to highlight that both national anthems were listened to respectfully by a predominantly Spanish audience, without any booing or whistling. This may seem shocking to many US citizens, but here in Spain we have often seen separatists booing and whistling our National Anthem without any action being taken or any government statement condemning this lack of respect for one of the symbols that represent all Spaniards.

These three things represent the feelings of millions of Spaniards: admiration for the Armed Forces, patriotism, and respect for the United States, our greatest ally and a country with which we have important cultural, social, political, and economic ties. These three things have been denigrated for decades by a segment (only a segment) of our society, especially by the far-left. This segment does not, by any stretch of the imagination, represent all Spaniards.

We're talking about a segment of society that hates patriotism, believes it's something fascists do, and calls flags "rags," only to then wave the flags of dictatorships like Palestine. These are people who claim to defend public institutions but hate the Armed Forces (that is, the public servants who watch over our safety every day). These are people who feel very comfortable with the Chinese communist dictatorship (a one-party regime that has been ruling for 76 years without free elections and violating human rights) and at the same time hate a nation with a long democratic tradition like the United States, whose sons have made many sacrifices in the fight for freedom, as evidenced by so many cemeteries on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Sometimes, watching certain media outlets (especially those controlled by or aligned with Pedro Sánchez's government), one might get the false impression that all of Spain is like that part that hates Spain and our allies, but the reality is very different from how those media outlets portray it. In Spain, many of us reject that hatred and share the values ​​that were admirably displayed yesterday at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. Many of us value our Armed Forces, love our country, and feel sympathy for the United States.

This NFL game has served to highlight a long-standing friendship between two great nations, a friendship that will not disappear despite the efforts of some to break it. God bless Spain and the United States of America.

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Photo: U.S. Navy / Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Drace Wilson.