The NFL has made tireless efforts in the last couple of decades to expand its international presence. As a result, the NFL has had dozens of games in international venues over the years. Now, they appear to be including a new country and a new venue in their International Series.
São Paulo, Brazil to Host NFL Game in 2024
According to Brian McCarthy, the NFL has decided to allow São Paulo, Brazil to host a regular season game in 2024. This will be the first time that Brazil has ever hosted a regular season game. The planned venue for this is Corinthians Arena. It is home to the SC Corinthians Brazilian soccer team.
Brazil is the sixth country to ever host an NFL regular season game. São Paulo will be the sixth city outside of the United States to host an NFL regular season game. So, where else has the NFL been?
London, England has been the most common international destination for the NFL. The NFL has also gone to the following places:
- Toronto, Canada
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Munich, Germany
- Frankfurt, Germany
Now, São Paulo is getting ready to join that list. There is no set date as to when this game will take place in 2024.
Who Will Play?
The NFL did not announce which teams were going to play in that game. While this likely will not come out for several months, it should not be hard to narrow it down. When you take a closer look at a few key things, one of the teams should be obvious.
That team is the Miami Dolphins. Why are they an obvious pick? For one thing, they are the only NFL team with marketing rights in Brazil.
Also, hundreds of thousands of Brazilian tourists visit Florida every year. As a result, an NFL team based in Florida may have more appeal. Plus, Miami is the closest city logistically to Brazil. So, it should be an easier destination for local fans to fly from.
What This Means
Regardless of who plays, it is a big announcement for the NFL. It is the fifth continent they will play a regular season or preseason game in. Also, it is a new country and new continent for an NFL game to help globalize the sport.
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