With marketing rights in Spain, the Bears emerge as strong contenders for a 2026 international matchup, potentially facing familiar foes overseas.
The NFL has become increasingly interested in playing games overseas in recent years.
In 2025, the NFL took its talents to Germany, Ireland, Brazil, London and Spain. The NFL announced on Monday that it will play another game in Madrid in 2026 as part of a multi-year partnership.
Three games will be played in London, with one each for the likes of Munich, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro.
With the turnaround that the Chicago Bears had in 2025, they are starting to be taken more seriously. NFL Analyst Adam Hoge revealed that the Bears have a good chance of playing in Madrid next season, as they are one of the three teams with marketing rights in Spain.
It's also worth noting that the Bears are the only NFC team with the rights to a Madrid game, via 247Sports' Zack Pearson.
The Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs also have marketing rights to the area. The Dolphins played the Washington Commanders in Madrid last season, with Miami pulling away in overtime for a 16-13 win.
The Bears last went overseas in 2024, taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars and winning 35-16 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Chicago and Miami do play each other next season, so it would make sense for the NFL to have them play that game in Madrid since they both have marketing rights.
Aside from their own division, the Bears will play the AFC East and NFC South divisions in 2026, as well as the Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles and Jaguars.
The last time that the Bears and Dolphins played each other was in 2023. The Dolphins came out on top, beating the Bears 35-32. They got the win despite Justin Fields rushing for 178 yards.
Regardless of where the game is played, the Bears will see a familiar face on the Dolphins' sideline in 2026. Former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley left to become the next head coach of the Dolphins.
Hafley is quite familiar with the Bears, and his defense caused problems for Chicago in the three games they played against them in 2025.
The prospect of playing a game overseas, in a city like Madrid, is very exciting for Bears fans. It'll be great to see how many international Bears fans there are if Chicago does get the game.
The Bears could be heading overseas in 2026.