The NFL season still breaks new ground on the global front, with seven regular-season games scheduled to be played abroad in 2025. Although negotiations had originally hinted at up to eight games played internationally, the league announced that the seven teams already on board to sacrificing home games for foreign games will be the extent of the year’s expansion.
Three NFL games will be played in London, with the Browns and Jets hosting games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Jaguars hosting a game at Wembley Stadium. These games will further solidify the NFL’s footprint in the UK, an important international market for the league.
For the second year in a row, the opening Friday of the NFL game season will be played in Sao Paulo, Brazil, as the Chargers host Arena Corinthians. The action locks Brazil into an emerging market for American football and shows the league’s dedication to South America.
Germany will host its fourth NFL game, and for the first time ever, the game will be played in Berlin. The Colts will headline at Olympiastadion, which represents another step for the NFL into Europe.
Spain will host its very first NFL game, with the Dolphins hosting a home game at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. The introduction of American football to Spanish audiences is projected to attract new viewers and grow interest in the sport.
Coming in addition to the list of premiere sites, Ireland will be host to its initial NFL game when the Steelers appear on the turf at Croke Park in Dublin. The incorporation of Ireland as a host country fits with the NFL’s persistent initiative to expand the sport to a global experience.
The league doesn’t seem to be slowing down in its drive for international expansion. Ahead of 2026, the NFL has already announced that Melbourne, Australia, will play its first-ever regular-season NFL game. With the speed of expansion, it wouldn’t come as a shock if the league someday gets to the level where 16 regular-season NFL games are played outside of the U.S., providing each team with a chance to play on an international stage.
With this continued pressure, the NFL game is being reshaped into a fully global phenomenon, captivating fans on numerous continents and bringing the league’s power to more fans than ever before.
