The Bucs have played in their share of NFL International Games over the years, with four games in London and the league’s first-ever regular season game in Germany in 2021, which saw them beat the Seahawks, 21-16.
Will Tampa Bay make history again by playing the first NFL regular season game in Madrid, Spain in 2025? It’s possible.
On Friday, the NFL announced that Madrid will host a Miami Dolphins home game in the upcoming 2025 season. The Bucs are one of nine possibilities to be their opponent, as Tampa Bay is scheduled to play an away game at Miami in 2025.
The league will announce the Dolphins’ opponent closer to the reveal of the full 2025 NFL schedule, which takes place in May following the 2025 NFL Draft.
Because the AFC teams will host nine games in 2025 while the NFC teams will host eight, the AFC teams have been selected as hosts for the NFL’s International Games. The Jaguars, Jets and Browns have been selected as host teams for this year’s games in London, and the Bucs are not scheduled to play any of those teams, so no trip to England for Tampa Bay in 2025.
The Colts were designated to play in this year’s Berlin game. And since Tampa Bay is not scheduled to play Indianapolis in 2025, the only chance the Bucs will have at playing overseas will be in Madrid against the Dolphins.
The Bucs have a 1-4 record in overseas games, going 0-4 in London games with the latest being a 37-26 loss to Carolina at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and winning the first-ever game played in Germany against Seattle.
Bucs’ 2025 Opponents
Due to Tampa Bay’s fourth straight NFC South championship, the team will play the division winners in the NFC North and the NFC East as well as the AFC South next season. The Bucs and the teams in the NFC South are scheduled to play the NFC West and the AFC East in 2025.
Tampa Bay is slated to play just five teams that qualified for the 2024 NFL playoffs next season, including just one at home. That would be the Philadelphia Eagles, who will visit Raymond James Stadium for the fourth time in the last three years.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and Lions QB Jared Goff – Photo by: USA Today
The Eagles beat the Bucs in the 2023 regular season, 26-11, before losing to Tampa Bay in the Wild Card game later this season, 32-9. Tampa Bay also beat Philadelphia in 2024 by the score of 33-16.
For the third straight season, the team will travel to Detroit to play the Lions. It will be the fourth time these two teams have faced each other in three seasons. Detroit swept Tampa Bay in 2023 with a regular season win at Raymond James Stadium and a playoff victory at Ford Field in the NFC Divisional round. The team got some revenge at Detroit in Week 2, beating the Lions, 20-16.
Tampa Bay will also play a 10-7 Seattle team in 2025 that didn’t qualify for the playoffs.
Times and dates for the Bucs’ 2025 games won’t be released until the league releases the schedule for next year in May after the 2025 NFL Draft. Here is a look at Tampa Bay’s opponents in 2025.
Bucs’ Home Opponents – 2025
Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Arizona Cardinals – 8-9
San Francisco 49ers – 6-11
New England Patriots – 4-13
New York Jets – 5-12
Atlanta Falcons – 8-9
Carolina Panthers – 5-12
New Orleans Saints – 5-12
Philadelphia Eagles – 14-3*
Bucs’ Away Opponents – 2025
Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: USA Today
Los Angeles Rams – 10-7*
Seattle Seahawks – 10-7
Miami Dolphins – 8-9
Buffalo Bills – 13-4*
Atlanta Falcons – 8-9
Carolina Panthers – 5-12
New Orleans Saints – 5-12
Detroit Lions – 15-2*
Houston Texans – 10-7*
*indicates 2024 playoff team
