The National Football League continues to expand its global reach, crossing over into another international city this weekend.
The Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders will play in Madrid on Sunday, marking the first time the league will play a game in Spain.
For Alejandro Villanueva, the match touches us in more than one way. Not only did he grow up in Spain, but his father is based at the Rota Naval Base, where a flag football event was held Wednesday. The former NFL offensive lineman, who served in the U.S. Army, is spending time in Spain on behalf of USAA, the official Salute to Service partner of the NFL.
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“The U.S. military and Spain are the two entities that I grew up in. I always prayed for good relations between Spain and the United States, because if there was a divide or friction between the two, I would always have to either choose or be put in a terrible position. But seeing the fact that an American football game is going to take place in Spain is pretty surreal,” Villanueva said in a recent interview with PK Press Club Digital.
“It’s quite interesting to live in the United States and see the evolution of how Spain and the United States get along, how the base has meant so much to the U.S. Navy and how the sport is now starting to interest Spanish fans. All of these things, I could never have hoped for a better evolution when I left for the United States. So the moment comes full circle to come back to my hometown, to be here working with troops, speaking in English on an American base Now it’s pretty awesome.”
“It’s just an incredible experience to be out there with everyone on base earlier today,” added Theismann, who is in town to watch his former team. “That’s one of the things I love about USAA: It’s honor through action. That’s what USAA is all about, honoring the military through action. I was at the Army-Navy game last year, and now I’m here in Spain to be able to honor the troops again.”
Theismann spoke about the importance of growing the game globally, saying that as long as every game is “packed,” there’s no reason the NFL can’t continue moving across the Atlantic Ocean.
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“The attendance at international games is a testament to people’s insatiable appetite for the NFL,” Theismann said. “If people didn’t come, you wouldn’t have these games. But yet, you have packed stadiums – everyone is wearing their jersey, their banner, their face painted. They’re as enthusiastic in different parts of the world as they are in the United States. So I think it’s just an effort on the part of the NFL and the NFL to continue to build the brand.”
Villanueva echoed similar sentiments, but took a different route. He called American football a “cultural weapon” that could bridge the divides between the United States and Spain.
“There’s no denying that players represent stories, and those stories represent values, and those values are the values that represent all of us. I think American football represents hard work and sacrifice above everything else. No matter where you come from, if you work harder and sacrifice more than the person next to you, you deserve to win, you deserve to be in the NFL, you deserve to have good things happen to you. And I think those are the values that you have at the United States,” Villanueva said.
“I think American sports fall into that category of entertainment. You can learn a lot about what we value just by watching American football. I think the rest of the world is much more traditional. America has amazing things to sell through American football. Everyone watches Sunday night, Monday night – whoever plays, you watch.”
“Everyone can learn and become a big fan of this sport, just like the British managed to spread football across the world,” Villanueva added. “I hope the NFL continues to expand internationally.”
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