Floodlights failed at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu with roughly two minutes remaining in the NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Atlanta Falcons, plunging the Real Madrid arena into sudden darkness.
The technical glitch struck one of the world’s most modern venues during an active play, according to reports from bild.de. The stadium underwent extensive renovations between 2019 and 2024 costing approximately 1.76 billion euros, incorporating a retractable roof, a movable pitch, and a massive 360-degree video scoreboard.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had just handed the ball off to running back Samaje Perine when the lights went out across the arena. Perine continued his run through the gloom and gained the necessary yardage for a first down, but officials ruled that the play could not count and ordered a replay.
The outage lasted only a few seconds before power was restored to the stadium. On the repeated attempt, Perine picked up the first down once more, allowing Cincinnati to run out the remaining clock and secure a 34-17 victory.
Atlanta opened the contest strongly by taking a 10-7 lead before Cincinnati seized control of the matchup. Burrow scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak and subsequently connected with Tee Higgins for a four-yard touchdown pass.
Kicker Evan McPherson extended the lead just before halftime by converting a 57-yard field goal, sending the Bengals into the locker room ahead 24-10. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase proved unstoppable for the Atlanta defense, catching a 47-yard touchdown and surpassing 100 receiving yards early in the second quarter to finish the half with 142 yards.
Atlanta trimmed the deficit after halftime when running back Bijan Robinson scored on a one-yard touchdown run to make it 24-17. Burrow answered by finding Higgins once again in the end zone for a 31-17 advantage.
Falcons kicker Nick Folk experienced a rare miss from 38 yards out, ending a streak of 107 successful field goals from 40 yards or less. McPherson added another field goal to push the score to 34-17, and Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw a late interception to seal the outcome in Madrid.
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