Ex-NFL stars Joe Theismann, Alejandro Villanueva praise league for bringing 'cultural weapon' overseas

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

The National Football League is continuing to expand its global reach, crossing off another international city this weekend.

The Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders will play in Madrid on Sunday, marking the first time the league will play a game in Spain.

For Alejandro Villanueva, the game hits close to home in more ways than one. Not only did he grow up in Spain, but his father is based at Naval Station Rota, where a flag football event was hosted Wednesday. The former NFL offensive lineman, who served in the U.S. military, is spending time in Spain on behalf of USAA, the NFL's official Salute to Service partner.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Joe Theismann and Alejandro Villanueva speak to flag football players in Madrid. (USAA)

"The United States military and the country of Spain have been the two entities that I've grown under. I've always prayed for good relations between Spain and the United States, because if there was a fracture or friction between the two, I would always have to either pick or be put in a terrible position. But to see the fact that an American football game is going to take place in Spain is pretty surreal," Villanueva said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

"It's pretty interesting living in the United States and seeing the evolution of how Spain and the United States get along, how the base has meant so much to the U.S. Navy, and how the sport now is beginning to interest Spanish fans. All those things — I could have never hoped for a better evolution when I left for the United States. So the full-circle moment of coming back to my hometown, to be out here working with