The NFL is planning to head to Brazil for its first-ever game in the country, sparking a round of future international games.
Each year, the NFL already plays games in the United Kingdom and Germany. Now, the league will head to Brazil for the first time, playing at Arena Corinthians in São Paulo. At this time, the date of the game and involved teams have not been announced.
NFL executive Peter O’Reilly told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that there’s “a lot of interest” to bring the NFL to the South American country. São Paulo, the most populous city in Brazil, has an NFL-suitable stadium and has a fanbase of around 38 million, the NFL said.
“I mean, we saw it. We did a Super Bowl viewing party last year down in Brazil, and it was packed, and the energy is there. … You’ve got some classic soccer clubs around the world who are really interested in hosting the NFL and building a relationship with the NFL.”
Brazil is only the beginning; following an owners meeting last week, the NFL announced that each team must play an international game every four years, meaning that the league could schedule up to eight international games starting in 2025. In addition to the São Paulo match, the Jaguars will play at London’s Wembley Stadium next year as a part of a separate agreement, while two games will be held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as well as a match in Munich, Germany. Games are also set to continue in Mexico City following stadium renovations.
So, what else is on the league’s radar? Originally, officials were choosing between São Paulo, Madrid, and Rio de Janeiro as their next location, leaving the ladder two as front-runners. New markets and host cities are set to be announced at a later date.
It’s likely that more cities will pop-up as contenders in the coming months, as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he sees football becoming a “global sport” within the next decade.
“Increasing international game inventory allows us to grow our global presence and share our game with exciting new markets to connect with more fans around the world,” Goodell said in a statement.
