DeVonta Smith of the Eagles visits Spain as NFL ambassador ahead of 2025 game in Madrid

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — DeVonta Smith enjoyed his first international game experience last September, when the Philadelphia Eagles opened what became a Super Bowl championship season by beating the Green Bay Packers in Brazil in the NFL's first game in South America.

The fifth-year wide receiver is looking forward to the next one. With the NFL now able to schedule up to eight out-of-country games each season, there's a good chance that Smith will get another opportunity during his career.

The league's regular-season venue list includes Spain for the first time this year, with the Miami Dolphins giving up a home game to play in Madrid against an opponent to be announced on Tuesday.

Smith was doing some football ambassador work on a recent visit to Barcelona, where he watched his first soccer match — the latest edition of the famed El Clasico rivalry between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. He said he's confident the NFL game will catch on in Spain as it has elsewhere.

“It's just a different culture over here, so a lot of people may not exactly know what's going on," Smith said. “Just getting over here to showcase the talent so they can know more about the sport.”

The Eagles, who will host the Dallas Cowboys in the 2025 kickoff game on Sept. 4, will likely not be among the international participants this season for the seven games played out of the U.S. Their only 2025 opponent slated as the home team for an international game is the Los Angeles Chargers, who will play in Sao Paolo, Brazil, where the league is unlikely to send the Eagles for a second straight year.

The Dolphins are the home team for the game in Madrid. Others on the docket this season are Berlin (Indianapolis Colts), Dublin (Pittsburgh Steelers) and three games in London (Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets).

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Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith holds the ball as he poses for a photo ahead of an interview with the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith poses for a photo ahead of an interview with the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith poses for a photo ahead of an interview with the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith holds the ball as he poses for a photo ahead of an interview with the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

RAJKOT, India (AP) — New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell won the toss on Wednesday and decided to bowl first against India in the second one-day international.

India won the first ODI in Vadodara by four wickets and leads the three-match series 1-0. The third ODI will be played in Indore on Sunday.

Both sides made one change. Left-arm spin all-rounder Jayden Lennox comes in for New Zealand and wrist spinner Adithya Ashok has been left out.

Indian off-spin allrounder Washington Sundar suffered a rib injury in the first ODI and has been ruled out of the series. Batter Ayush Badoni was called up to the India squad for the remaining two ODIs, and India has brought in allrounder Nitish Reddy in place of Sundar.

The pitch at the Niranjan Shah Stadium should be batter-friendly with a high score anticipated. Evening dew will aid the chasing side.

Lineups:

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, K.L. Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

New Zealand: Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay, Michael Bracewell (captain), Zakary Foulkes, Jayden Lennox, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson, left, celebrates with teammates the wicket of India's Virat Kohli during the first One Day International cricket match between India and New Zealand in Vadodara, India, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

India's Virat Kohli reacts as he leaves the field after losing his wicket during the first One Day International cricket match between India and New Zealand in Vadodara, India, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)