Bengals coach Zac Taylor goes hunting for Spain’s World Cup trophy ahead of NFL game in Madrid

MADRID (AP) — Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor had something on his mind besides football — American football, that is — after arriving in Madrid for Sunday's NFL game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Taylor was on a mission to find the World Cup trophy at the headquarters of Spain’s national team.

“Spain won the World Cup, right?” Taylor said Thursday. “I was here yesterday looking for it. It’s not here. It’s traveling around Spain. I learned that. It’s on a little tour of Spain. But I did my best to find it.”

The Bengals arrived in Madrid on Wednesday and held their first practice Thursday at the training facilities of Spain's national team, which won its second World Cup title in July in the United States. The Falcons are practicing at the training complex of Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid.

“You know, I know it is a big soccer country,” Taylor said. “That’s the No. 1 sport. I’m not quite sure how much they know about our game yet. Hopefully they’ll learn a lot over the course of this week. It’s a fun one."

Sunday’s game at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium — the home of Real Madrid — is the seventh of a record nine NFL regular-season games outside the United States this season. It will be the second regular-season game in Spain after the Miami Dolphins defeated the Washington Commanders 16-13 in overtime last year.

Taylor seemed caught off guard, though, when asked which Madrid team he thought was better, Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid.

“It’s always been kind of a tie for me,” he said after asking the reporter to repeat the question, drawing laughs from those in the news conference.

“I’ve always, you know, sometimes it’s one, the other times I watch them play and I’m like, yeah, I kind of like the other one, too. So, I like both of them. I like both of these teams that you’re talking about.”

Taylor said he was excited about the opportunity to play at the Bernabeu.

“I know the tradition of soccer here is unbelievable. People involved are very passionate, so I think to be able to be in a stadium where there’s so much history with the team ... It’s cool for us to have a chance, it might be the only chance to get a chance to see a stadium like that, with the tradition of soccer.”

Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that he didn’t know much about the history of the Bernabeu but had “a ton of respect for Real Madrid and what it means to global soccer, or ‘football,’ sorry.”

“I have two boys that are very into soccer and very into FIFA, so while I can’t tell you I’m as well versed as they are, I’m certainly well aware of how important this is, and I don’t take that for granted,” Stefanski said. “I don’t take it for granted how special this place is relative to the global stage. And to be able to be in the stadium on Sunday, we’ll get in there on Saturday for a walkthrough. I’ll be taking some pictures.”

Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. said Thursday he was “super excited” to play at the Bernabeu.

“We can't wait to go see it,” he said. "I already looked up pictures of it and stuff like that, so just can't wait to go see it. It's a big stadium for the soccer community and we're just so excited that we have the opportunity to be able to go play in there.”

Wide receiver Drake London said he “never really watched soccer" but it was “cool" that he still knew of Real Madrid.

“It's really cool and special that we get an opportunity to play in a stadium that holds so many legendary moments and legendary players,” London said.

The Falcons struggled in a 16-0 loss in the rain at Tampa Bay last weekend, while the Bengals rallied for a 43-36 win over the Tennessee Titans at home.

Taylor said the Bengals “were back on schedule” as far as the team's preparations.

“Our meetings were the same as they’ve always been on Thursday,” he said. "We’re doing everything we can to get ready for the game and keep our normal schedule to where they’re hearing the same things that they usually hear in the same rhythm weekly.”

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