NFL Will Have Game Played in Brazil in 2024
Since 2007, we’ve seen the NFL try to grow its audience on an international level, as they started playing games in London England. Over the past couple of years, the NFL began hosting games in Mexico City, Mexico, Frankfurt, and Munich Germany. On Wednesday, the NFL announced they’ll play in one more country in 2024, that country being Brazil. The league also plans on expanding the slate of international games from four to eight games in 2025. The Brazil game in 2024 will be played in Sao Paulo at Corinthians Arena, which is home to the Brazilian soccer club SC Corinthians, Corinthians Arena was the venue for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Both of these announcements were made yesterday at an owner’s meeting in Dallas Texas. The league stated that new markets and hosts/stadiums for upcoming seasons would be announced eventually. The NFL’s Executive Vice President of Club Business, International & League Events Peter O’Reilly said that the eight games “gives us some optionality” with markets, although the hope is to be back in Mexico, and Germany annually, with London already on the annual schedule. Multiple team executives believe that eventually, just about every team will play an international game each year. The NFL is continuing to talk about Spain as a possible location for a regular season game in 2025, at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, the home of Real Madrid. While the NFL has never played a game in Brazil or Spain, O’Reilly said earlier this year “that the league was spending time in those markets.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement, "Becoming a global sport is a major strategic priority for the league and 32 teams. 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." On The Adam Schefter Podcast, Peter O’Reilly said, "There's a lot of interest in the NFL, 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. So, the marriage of those two -- there's interests there, for sure, and it's just determining the timing and the approach." Do you think we will see the NFL expand the game to Spain in 2025?
