MADRID _ If lockers are omens, center Ted Karras is going to lead the Bengals offensive line to the Super Bowl title.

When the Bengals showed up for Thursday's practice at La Ciudad del Futbol (The Football City), Karras discovered he had the locker of Spanish soccer teen sensation Lamine Yamal, one of the players who led Spain to the World Cup back in July.

"I think it's just because where the offensive line is. Down the line. He's kind of in the middle over there, so it makes sense," Karras said. "It's a big honor.

"It was a fun summer watching the World Cup, and congrats to Spain for winning, and it's cool to be in the vicinity of world champions, which is what we aspire to be."

More Soccer

The Bengals know they're vying for the hard-won attention of a country in love with the beautiful game, and where Real Madrid is the king of Bernabeau Stadium, site of their game against the Falcons Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Channel 5) in one of soccer's greatest buildings.

But Jeremy Rauch of Cincinnati's FOX19 is reporting Real Madrid's leading scorer and their Joe Burrow, Kylian Mbappé, has expressed interest in attending the game. Which has caught wide receiver Tee Higgins’ eye.

"I watch him on TV all the time. You know what I mean? Higgins said. "It's so crazy. We just talked about how fast this dude is, right? How do you run that fast, dribbling the ball on your feet?  That's crazy. And then the moves he throws, it's amazing. Just having that type of player at the game would be great to see."

Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II gets it. He's playing a sport that's growing.

"For me, it could be somebody's first time watching us play," Lawrence said. "So you want to make your first impression the best one. I don't know if it's his first time, but it's probably his first time in person. It'll be special."

Beyond Bed and Bath

The 6-4, 350-pound bear of a man Lawrence revealed the news of the day when he said, "My bed is undefeated," as he talked about adjusting to multiple days on the road. But he believes he'll still be in top form Sunday.

"I think just being a pro, finding your time to one, enjoy the country and then two, take care of your body," Lawrence said  "I think just finding time to move your body and just walking, walking does it's good. It's great things to see here. So I don't mind doing a walk and just hydrating, and I think that's the biggest thing."

Running back Chase Brown has one of the most regimented routines on the team with his saunas and cold tubs, and he's looking to integrate it here but finding it challenging.

"I think the biggest difference is usually in the mornings and after practice. I like to use the sauna and the tubs," Brown said. "I would say the freedom to use those whenever you want because I feel like we're kind of contained using that only while we're at practice."

Slants and Screens

It was by accident, but two Clemson guys, Lawrence and Higgins, did one news conference, while two Illinois guys,  Karras and Brown, did the other …

Karras started it off by alluding to his remark last Monday in Cincinnati when he seemed to wonder why the Rams went to Australia so close to a game they were routed.

"I'm going to start us off real quick. I have the utmost respect for the Los Angeles Rams and Coach (Sean) McVay. Coach (Nate) Scheelhaase is my college quarterback," Karras said. "Getting quoted in the national media two times in one week is too much for a center. So I'm going to save my personality for my teammates and shut up a little bit. Just want to get that off my chest." …

Higgins says he doesn't enjoy flying and didn't sleep on the flight. But it's a proud moment, and he made sure his family is here.

"Once I landed out here, I was like, 'I can't believe I actually crossed the Atlantic,' " said Higgins of his first trans-Atlantic flight. "It's just amazing. You know what I mean? Just knowing where I came from, bringing my family out here. This is their first time as well, so it's pretty dope. It's so surreal. We're definitely going to enjoy our time here, even though it's short. But definitely want to enjoy our time and make the most of it." …