NFL wants every team to play an international game each year, eventually
The NFL will have 9 international games in 2026, and Roger Goodell said it will eventually have 16 per year so each team plays one.
Watch: Jeremiyah Love answers if he will play in the Hall of Fame Game in an interview before the event | 19 mins
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The NFL will play its first regular-season game ever in France next season with the New Orleans Saints set to travel to Paris later this year and the league will also head back to Mexico City for the first time since 2022.
The league on Monday announced the plans to play a game at the Stade de France next season in addition to a multiyear deal to keep playing regular-season games at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, and a game to be played in Mexico City in December.
“It’s the ambition we have to be a global sport,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said at his Super Bowl news conference. “But it’s also the demand we’re having. We’re hearing from cities that want to host these games and really want to get more American football.”
The NFL has already announced its first game in Australia next season with the Los Angeles Rams set to host that game, as well as games in Rio de Janeiro, Munich, and three in London. The league will have nine international games next season and Goodell said it will eventually have 16 international games a year so each team plays one.
“That’s an important mark to shoot for and I think we’re on our way.” Goodell said.
The additions of Australia and France will mean NFL games will have been played in nine countries outside of the United States after next season.
The NFL says it has played 62 regular-season games outside the U.S. so far, with London, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dublin, Sao Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto as hosts.
The Saints will play an opponent to be determined after the schedule is finalized later this year. The Saints have international marketing rights in France as part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program.
Saints owner Gayle Benson said she is excited to play in France, citing the “strong cultural connection between Louisiana and France.”
The Stade de France was built in 1998 when the country hosted the World Cup. It was also used for the 2024 Olympics and has hosted several major international sporting events.
The NFL says it has more than 14 million fans in France and launched a flag football program there in 2023 that already reaches more than 8,000 boys and girls.
The NFL did not announce any of the teams for the game in Spain. The Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears currently have marketing rights in Spain as part of the league’s Global Markets Program.
The first NFL regular-season game in Spain was played at the Bernabeu last November as the Dolphins defeated the Washington Commanders 16-13 in overtime before a crowd of 78,610 fans.
NFL Spain country manager Rafa De Los Santos said the multiyear agreement to playing games in Madrid “underlines our commitment to the market and enables us to continue to engage fans year-round and invest long-term in initiatives like NFL Flag and youth participation.”
The NFL said Spain is “an important market globally,” with 11 million fans. It said it will also focus on developing the league’s flag football initiatives across the country.
After the first game in Madrid last year, there had also been talks of the league also trying to organize a game in Barcelona at some point.
The NFL has played five games in Mexico City but hasn’t been back since 2022 while the stadium has undergone renovations for this summer’s World Cup.
“We’re heading back to Mexico City in December, which I think is wonderful for our fans in Mexico,” Goodell said. “They’re redoing the stadium for the World Cup. This will be a chance for us to get back there this December. We can’t wait for that either.”
Related
Trey Benson’s mysterious training camp absence has been solved
Cardinals claim RB Evan Hull, DT Cam Horsley off waivers
What are the big differences to Cardinals training camp under Mike LaFleur?
Baker Mayfield should be on Cardinals’ radar if no contract solution reached with Tampa Bay
Cardinals training camp takeaways: Jacoby Brissett struggles, and where is Trey Benson?
Cardinals’ Walter Nolen III is ‘good’ after he was seen limping on the sideline Friday
Comments
4 Comments
"Couldn't agree more. This is nothing but a greedy move by the POS commissioner and owners. In my opinion, it's a slap in the face to every NFL fan—something Roger Goodell couldn't care less about."
The idea of every NFL team playing at least 1 game internationally, IS COMPLETE AND TOTAL INSANITY. IMHO, the NFL should eliminate ALL games played outside the US. All that extra travel is absolutely going to put every player at physical risk. REALLY HORRIBLE IDEA. What's next, are they going to start allowing players to be equipped with machetes or other lethal instruments?
As has been pointed out so succinctly by D C and Birds Nest, the league office could care less about the welfare of players. That aside, I think there should be an underlying theme where the best teams play in the best places, and the worst teams play in the worst places. Like the Cardinals vs. the Jets or the Giants, or NYJ vs. NYG. These games should be played in places like Argentina, the Philippines or Siberia. The travel to/from and accommodations in places like these should have no long term detrimental effects on dumpster fire franchises, while matches like KC vs. Rams or Philly vs. Buffalo should be in London or Munich as they are nice cities to visit and players can bring their families along to tour these iconic locations.
I don't know why we should do these things, but, by god, we've got to do something.