Last month, the Atlanta Falcons were named as one of the teams set to take the field in Madrid this fall, stepping into the iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid C.F. The stage is set, but one piece is still missing: their opponent. And that uncertainty is where the Kansas City Chiefs enter the picture.

The full 2026 schedule for the franchise is still about six weeks away from being revealed, but behind the scenes, there’s already a push building. Team officials are actively lobbying for a chance to take the stage in Spain, hoping to be part of that international moment. And if you want to understand just how much it matters to them, you only have to hear it from team president Mark Donovan himself.

“We’ve been very open and aggressive with the league – as we have been since the beginning – that we want to play in Spain this year,” he told The Kansas City Star on Thursday. “We think it would be a great market, game (and) matchup. It’s perfect timing for us to play in Real Madrid, and for our fans to experience that stadium and city. I think it’d be amazing for our fans. So we’re all in.

“It’s perfect timing for us. And to play in Real Madrid, and for our fans to experience that stadium and city, I think it’d be amazing for our fans. So, we’re all in.”

Here’s the thing: The Chiefs have never shied away from global matchups, but a potential overseas meeting with the Falcons would come with an interesting twist. The two clubs, despite being in opposite conferences, met as recently as two years ago. This time, Atlanta appears on Kansas City’s schedule as a road opponent because both teams finished third in their respective divisions. That’s the exact formula used to determine the league’s 17th game since its introduction in 2021.

There’s still no firm timeline on when the NFL will finalize its decision for Spain. However, when the league confirmed last month that the Falcons would take part in the game, it also made clear that their opponent wouldn’t be revealed until the full schedule drops in May. Regardless, the Kansas City team will stand prepared. Spain became part of their international footprint last year through the NFL Global Markets Program. Alongside them, the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins were also granted branding and commercial rights in Spain.

The Spain matchup is likely to land in November, mirroring last year’s game when the Dolphins faced the Washington Commanders in the league’s debut there. Games played overseas in the middle of the season, however, haven’t typically been slotted into prime-time windows the way international openers have. But the Chiefs have been a major cash cow for the league in the past few seasons.

The NFL is expected to slot the franchise into several high-profile windows, with games tied to Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Christmas Day all in play. And that wouldn’t be unfamiliar territory, considering the Chiefs have become a regular presence during the holiday stretch.

Last season, the Chiefs traveled to Brazil to face the Los Angeles Chargers, marking the franchise’s fourth international game. They’ve played in London (2015), Mexico City (2019), and Frankfurt, Germany (2023).

While these plans of playing in Spain certainly fit the “world’s team” motto of the Chiefs’ president, Mark Donovan, there is a far more pressing concern at hand. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt’s comments have cast significant doubt over the team featuring in the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, and it all comes down to the health of QB1 Patrick Mahomes.

The Chiefs don’t want to play the season opener because of Patrick Mahomes’ injury

With the NFL gearing up to start the 2026 season, the first game is scheduled for Wednesday instead of a traditional Thursday night. But Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt believes his team won’t be part of this year’s season opener. He explained his rationale behind the statement by talking about how the league may not risk pushing quarterback Patrick Mahomes for an early return.

“I don’t think that’s on the table anymore for us to be in Seattle [for the opener],” the Chiefs chairman and CEO told Front Office Sports at the NFL annual meeting. “From a league standpoint, I think there would be some concern whether our quarterback will be ready to go. My guess is the league won’t want to take that risk.”

Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee against the Los Angeles Chargers on December 14. Since then, the 30-year-old has been rehabbing. Additionally, he is traveling to Dallas for checkups with Dr. Dan Cooper (who performed his surgery) and his team.

Rushing his recovery process can lead to the risk of re-aggravation of the injury. On the other hand, new backup quarterback Justin Fields doesn’t seem ready to handle the pressure of the season opener for the Chiefs at the moment. As a result, the Chiefs may not feature in the season opener of the 2026 season against the defending Super Bowl champions. This will allow Patrick Mahomes to come back stronger and help grow the game internationally, with Kansas City expected to play in Spain.