Bengals-Falcons game plunged into darkness as lights malfunction at iconic Bernabeu stadium in Madrid

Published: 14:09 EDT, 8 November 2026 | Updated: 14:11 EDT, 8 November 2026 The NFL returned to Spain for the second time as the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-17 in Madrid.But things didn't go off entirely without a hitch at the iconic Santiago Bernabeu stadium, home of soccer giants Real Madrid, as the lights malfunctioned in the fourth quarter.The stadium was plunged into darkness just as the Bengals snapped the ball on 2nd-and-6 coming out of the two-minute warning.The lights in the 81,000-capacity stadium, which reopened in 2023 after undergoing $1.6 billion renovations, malfunctioned and flickered before suddenly going completely dark for a few seconds.When the lights came back on, Bengals running back Samaje Perine was being tackled for a four-yard gain.Remarkably, the play was allowed to stand by officials. After a brief break in play to ensure the lights were back working properly, the Bengals rushed for a first down then kneeled out the clock to head home with a win. The stadium was plunged into darkness during the Bengals-Falcons game in Madrid, Spain Dim lights returned just as Samaje Perine was being tackled at the end of a short run The famous Bernabeu, home of soccer giants Real Madrid, was hosting its second NFL gameThe lights were less bright than expected https://t.co/kqJzf1lo2D— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 8, 2026 Fans quickly cracked jokes at the expense of Atlanta and pointed to the Bengals' electric performance.One fan wrote: 'A literal lights out performance by the Bengals offense' as another joked: 'Falcons doing anything to get the ball back.'Another quipped: 'the lights saw 34–17 and filed for early release' and a further post read: 'They picked Real Madrid's stadium and still couldn't keep the lights on.'The Bernabeu hosted Spain's first NFL game last year, when the Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Commanders in overtime.This year, it was the Bengals' turn to get a big win to advance to 6-2 on the season, while the Falcons slipped to 3-6. Joe Burrow threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns in the Bengals win, with 155 yards of those supplied to star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase.After the game, Burrow called Chase's game: 'An intense impact, very intense. He was unbelievable today. '(I) just try to keep finding ways to get him the ball. He's gonna keep doing his thing. We had a lot of one-high defenses today. And we've got to make them pay when we get that. And he certainly did.'