What’s next for NFL international games?

Sunday’s game in Spain capped a landmark year for the NFL’s global expansion.

Not only were there a record seven regular season games played overseas this season, but they were played in five countries.

And the NFL finished off its run of international games this season by adding two more iconic venues, hosting its first games at Berlin’s Olympiastadion and Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium.

Henry Hodgson, chief executive of NFL UK and Ireland, told BBC Sport that the games “remain a very important part of our growth internationally”.

So what’s next for America’s biggest sports league, which aims to capitalize on its growing popularity across the globe?

How many international games will there be in 2026?

The first regular season NFL game to be played overseas was in Mexico in 2005 and the United Kingdom has hosted annual games since 2007.

Germany has been added to the schedule in 2022, but the league’s desire to become truly global started with South America hosting its first match in Brazil in 2024.

Four European countries have hosted matches this season – with Ireland and Spain hosting their first – and in 2026. Australia to host first NFL game outside the Americas or Europe.

There will be games again Brazil and Germany, while the NFL has a long-term commitment to playing three in London each year.

Commissioner Roger Goodell also said the NFL would return to Mexico as Azteca Stadium was renovated for the 2026 World Cup, although there is no official confirmation yet.

If announced, that would make seven international games for 2026. Under the NFL’s current collective bargaining agreement, it can play up to 10 per year and the league has been evaluating potential host cities around the world, including in the Middle East and Asia.

Will there be more matches in London?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have played in London every year since 2013 and twice in 2023.

They are the only team solely responsible for hosting an international match, so they keep all revenue from the event, and team president Mark Lamping told BBC Sport that a match at Wembley is more profitable than one in Jacksonville.

But rumors that the Jaguars would one day move to London were quashed when the Florida franchise embarked on a major renovation project of its own stadium, costing $1.4 billion (£1.1 billion).

While this work is underway, capacity will be reduced in 2026 and the Jags will have to play elsewhere in 2027, would be in Orlando, so they have the opportunity to play two international matches in 2026 and three in 2027.

“We haven’t determined the number yet,” Lamping said. “We first need to figure out where we will play in 2027, and then if there are scheduling difficulties, that can take us one way or the other.”

Tickets did not sell as quickly for this season’s London matches, but on match day attendance at Tottenham and Wembley matched previous years.

Despite the increasing number of international matches, many European fans still travel to the UK. BBC Sport spoke to several Germans who attended a match in London because they have never managed to get a ticket to a match in their home country, such is the demand in their home country.

“NFL fans across Europe are incredibly well served,” added Hodgson. “There are plenty of opportunities to visit different countries and watch NFL games, but I think there is (still) more than enough appetite for fans to come visit us.”

Will the NFL return to Germany, Ireland and Spain?

The NFL launched a global markets program in 2022, granting teams marketing rights in specific countries, and more rights in Germany than in any other country (11).

Two of them took part in the match in Berlin on November 9, when Indianapolis Colts beat Atlanta Falcons in overtime, while the other nine held events in the German capital this weekend.

Munich and Frankfurt have already hosted games and the NFL has agreed to return to Berlin in 2027 and 2029.

The league is set to announce which city will host games in 2026 and 2028, and Alexander Steinforth, general manager of NFL Germany, said: “I think we will have a good mix of two cities in the future.”

He added that teams are “lining up” to play in Germany and joked that his team “won’t complain” about having multiple games, but is also “rallying behind the NFL’s efforts to really grow the game internationally, including well beyond Germany.”

“We know the value of each international match and help our international colleagues identify the destinations that make the most sense for us as a league.”

Several NFL officials have stated that Pittsburgh Steelers win in Dublin in September exceeded expectations and the league is still evaluating whether to return to Ireland.

Commissioner Goodell said the NFL would return to Spain after the Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Commanders in overtime on Sunday, despite it being what ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler called a “nascent market.”

The Dolphins have marketing rights in Spain, but Kahler spoke to locals in Madrid’s main square last week and “for the most part they had no idea what the Miami Dolphins or the NFL were.”

“Several people asked me ‘que tipo de rugby es’: what type of rugby is it?”

She added that Spain “is not at the level of football knowledge or fandom like the UK or Germany, Mexico or even Brazil. I feel like this market was their biggest experiment (to date).”

How does the NFL decide where to play?

The NFL has also considered playing in Barcelona, with Camp Nou seen as another iconic stadium that the league could tick off once it has been fully renovated.

The league has conducted site visits to several cities, including Paris and Abu Dhabi, and work on potential host markets begins years in advance.

For example, the New Orleans Saints are the only team with marketing rights in France, while the San Francisco 49ers are one of three teams operating in the UAE, and both engage with local communities to generate interest there.

“We monitor and examine sites all over the world,” Hodgson added.

“People often ask, ‘Is this stadium viable?’. But really, the important thing for us is ‘Are these markets going to be viable, not just to play a game but to develop a fan base?’. That’s really where the decision is made.”