Today, the NFL made two major announcements for their International Series. First, they announced that São Paulo, Brazil will host a regular season game in 2024. This will be the first time that Brazil has ever hosted an NFL regular season game and the first for South America as a continent.
However, a second part of this announcement may have fallen under the radar. According to Albert Breer, there will be up to nine NFL international games in 2025. So, where will these games be? Let’s dive into where the NFL may go next.
London, England
It would be shocking if the NFL left London, England out of the mix. Since the start of the NFL International Series initiative, London has been in the center of it. As a result, they have had the most NFL games of any international destination.
This year, London hosted three games in the NFL International Series. If the NFL decides to have nine international games in 2025, expect London to host at least three of them. More than likely, they will add a fourth game in London as they continue to expand.
Munich, Germany
Do not be surprised if Munich, Germany is a permanent staple in the NFL International Series. Since Germany made its debut in the International Series in 2022, the games played there have been a resounding success. This year, the NFL pivoted to Frankfurt instead of Munich.
However, despite Frankfurt hosting two games this year, I believe the NFL will pivot back to Munich by 2025. Why do I believe this?
For one thing, I think Frankfurt benefited from scheduling this year. Munich’s stadium was occupied due to a UEFA Champions League commitment. Also, Frankfurt got an extra game to Mexico City being unable to host this year.
Allianz Arena in Munich is the better venue of the two available. As a result, I think Munich will be included in the 2025 NFL International Series expansion. The city may even get two games.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
As mentioned above, Brazil is getting an NFL regular season game in 2024. However, given how popular of an international destination Rio de Janeiro is, do not be surprised if that city gets an NFL game in 2025. The NFL could decide to go the Germany route and award games to different cities in the same country in back-to-back years.
For one thing, the Miami Dolphins have international marketing rights in Brazil already. Plus, the city has a historic stadium that can fit over 200,000 people at its peak. If the stadium is capable of hosting an international event like this, do not be surprised to see Rio de Janeiro included in 2025.
Dublin, Ireland
An underrated candidate for an international NFL game is Dublin, Ireland. One of the biggest reasons for this is Dublin, Ireland.
Believe it or not, college football may help pave the way for this. It is becoming a yearly tradition for a college football game to be played in Dublin. The 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Florida State Seminoles will mark the third consecutive year that a college football game will be played in Dublin. It also will be the fifth game since 2012.
On top of this, it would not be a big cultural gap for an American sport to come to Ireland. Dublin would likely welcome it considering the college football games bring in tens of millions of dollars for the Irish economy. So, do not be surprised if Dublin is added to the NFL International Series in 2025.
Sydney, Australia
This may be the biggest reach of any city on this list. However, it is hard to count out Australia as a possibility. The NFL is set on making their sport more global. So, what better way to do it than adding another continent to their International Series?
Australia has hosted an NFL preseason game before. However, the country has never hosted a regular season game. If the NFL wants to have a global presence on the other side of the world, there is no better candidate than Australia to do just that.
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