Juan Romero and Moises Linares have some beef. Most of the time, the pair can put it aside and play nice. But this week, it's undoubtedly going to bubble up.
"As a Real Madrid fan, I'm ecstatic to go to the Bernabéu," Romero explained. "It got really intense in the early 2000s … It goes back to those days, working up in the service industry in restaurants, those Champions League games at three in the afternoon when all the employees can't make a burger at that time because they're watching the game."
Meanwhile, Linares supports Real Madrid's biggest rival.
"I'm a Barcelona fan. It's only maybe three or four times a year when the Clásicos [the rivalry game between the two] are being played that we are not friends," Linares said with a laugh.
While the tension is salient, Romero and Linares will be able to lean on a shared bond and mission to help them rise above while they are in Madrid, Spain this week for the Commanders' Week 11 clash against the Dolphins. On site at the NFL's first-ever game in Spain and the duo's first time working a Commanders' game abroad, the team's official Spanish-language broadcasters are excited to spread the gospel of Washington football and serve the Spanish-speaking fan base on a historic trip.
While the NFL game in Spain is a first, it isn't exactly a surprise. Over the last several years, international destinations have become a fixture of the regular season NFL schedule with cities ranging from Mexico City to Dublin to São Paulo being awarded games. The 2025 regular season features seven games played outside of the U.S., the most ever to date. Signs point to this setup perhaps being more of a norm than a rarity. Like other destinations the NFL has traveled to as of late, Spain has qualities that make it ripe for welcoming the sport at this time.
"That fan base is in its infant state right now," Linares said. "They're starting to see the game more often. They have access to the NFL like never before. They're hungry to see an event in person like we've seen in other countries -- Ireland, England, Germany. So, I think this is a great opportunity to bring the game to them so they can see it, live it in person and get to enjoy it like they never have before."
Similar to England and Germany, Spain also has history with the NFL that can be traced back to a 1990s and early 2000s iteration of the league.
"Also, there are still fans of the original NFL Europe league," Romero said of Spain's NFL fan base. "They'll reach out to us and say, 'Hey I used to follow X team.'…If people know about it, they like to make you aware that they know about it."
The Barcelona Dragons were one of NFL Europe's main teams for years. The mix of older NFL fans and newer generations who have other touchpoints with the sport form the "very important market for the NFL" that Peter O'Reilly, NFL executive vice president in charge of the international division, said the league wants to "continue building upon" in Spain.
With Romero and Linares' involvement, the Commanders are ready to capitalize on the opportunity to meet existing fans and grow new ones right where they are at abroad.
"I think we're one of the longest tenured Spanish broadcast duos in the NFL," Romero said. "A lot of other teams are starting to come on board now. A lot of other teams will have the project for a couple years, they'll let it go, they'll come back. And Ryan [Commanders' Senior Director of Studio and Broadcast Ryan Yocum] has really showed us that he's really committed to making this happen."
In the leadup to the game, Romero and Linares will be contributing to the team's in-house "Command Center" shows to provide analysis on the team. Additionally, the pair will be there to help in translating the shows for any non-English speaking fans who may be in attendance. The latter is a new kind of in-house work they will be doing on the trip.
"We haven't done it before, but it's not something foreign to us," Linares said. "Translating for Commanders fans is something that we've done our whole lives. I think it'll be fun. We're just going to take advantage and become 'evangelists' of the Washington Commanders and just talk about the team and go out there and kind of try to merge our two loves which are soccer and football and do right by the fan base."
Fans can also catch the broadcasters at various fan events around the city as the Commanders look to level up the fun in the Spanish capital.
"We'll be busy," Romero said.
As for Sunday itself, the Bernabéu will be quite a spectacle. Thousands of fans are expected to travel from the United States. Others will pour in from neighboring European countries and beyond. The pull of the U.S.'s most popular sport making a special visit to one of the most iconic stadiums on the planet is strong.
"El Bernabéu is a world-class landmark that everyone wants to visit at one point," Romero said. "It has been fully remodeled and we're going to be one of the first NFL teams to see it, so that's pretty cool."
The stadium is decked out for the event, and that branding has stretched out to bus stops, street signs and more around the city. The energy is high. Fans, pundits and NFL personnel alike seem to be brimming with excitement as history unfolds this week.
"When we see what's happening in the NFL and the fact that it's being globalized, you can't keep it to yourself," Linares said. "People want to a piece of it, and Spain has been waiting for a minute just like Mexico did, and now they're going to have it. I'm sure it's going to be a packed house regardless of what each team's record is. People are just going to be happy to be part of this big celebration."
