Real Madrid players caught in Valdebebas American football prank

Real Madrid’s training base at Valdebebas became the setting for an American football prank on Friday, as several of the club’s players were tested on their reactions to an unexpected catch.

The light-hearted stunt took place while Real Madrid were preparing for training and the Atlanta Falcons were also using the facility. The NFL team are due to face the Cincinnati Bengals at Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, bringing American football to the home of the Spanish club.

Rather than being organised by the visiting team, the joke was created by Real Madrid’s own social media and communications staff, who used the occasion to produce an entertaining moment involving members of the first-team squad.

Arda Guler, Fede Valverde, Cucurella, Eder Militao and Diomande were among the players asked to take part. Their challenge was to show how they would react while attempting to catch an American football.

The players waited for the ball to be released, apparently unsure of what was about to happen. However, the anticipated catch never took place because the person leading the prank kept hold of the ball.

As the tension built, Valverde shouted: “Come on, you idiot!” He then took the ball and kicked it away, prompting laughter from those involved as the players’ reactions shifted between surprise and amusement.

The scene, recorded and shared by Real Madrid’s official account, offered a glimpse of the players away from the pressure of competitive matches. Their varied responses created an informal and humorous moment at the training centre, only days before Santiago Bernabeu is scheduled to host a major American sporting event.

While attention has been focused on the stadium’s preparations for the Atlanta Falcons’ meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals, Valdebebas provided its own entertainment with a small prank that produced plenty of laughter among the Real Madrid players and staff.