The San Francisco 49ers want the world to think of them as much more than a West Coast brand, and Al Guido is leaning all the way into that pitch. The new Niners CEO says the franchise is already the NFL’s global standard, and has the numbers to back it up.

“I believe we are the globe’s team,” Guido told The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. “I can show you a ton of different data and metrics that prove that. That we are the most popular franchise in the NFL across the globe.”

Tafur reported that the Niners have 5-6 million fans worldwide, rank as a top-five NFL team in nine countries, and sit No. 1 in Mexico and the UAE and No. 2 in Australia. If that wasn’t enough, Tafur also revealed that nearly 200 countries have the Niners mobile app downloaded to follow their team. And the schedule backs up this pitch, too.

The Niners are set to play in the league’s first regular-season game in Australia this season (Week 1), and are also set to be the home team in Mexico City (Week 11), giving them two international dates. The NFL’s broader overseas push (there are nine international games this year) helps the backdrop, but the Niners are one of the few teams that can make this a successful trip.

So far, the Niners are 3-1 in their international trips from 2005, ‘10, ‘13, and ‘22. Their first trip was to Mexico City, where they lost to the Arizona Cardinals. Since then, San Fran has been unbeatable outside America – they even got their revenge on the Cardinals in ‘22 with a 38-10 victory. This offseason, Niners owner Jed York has already outlined what he’s willing to give up to play in Mexico again.

“For us, Mexico is one of our markets,” York said recently. “We will most likely give up a home game this season to play abroad, and Mexico is always No. 1 on my list.”

The international games this season also imply that the league believes the Niners can pull in the viewers. And Guido, like York, has expressed excitement to play overseas. Mexico City, for him, is even familiar enough to make it an upside for the team.

“After two unforgettable experiences in 2005 and 2022 in Mexico City, we’re excited to reunite with the Mexico faithful and look forward to the energy local fans will bring in creating a true home-field advantage for our team abroad,” Guido said back in February.

Interestingly, head coach Kyle Shanahan has made the football side of this argument before, saying, “there’s not much benefit” to playing internationally for their Week 1 matchup. The coach sees the travel and the shorter weeks that follow, but the CEO sees a franchise that can turn those same trips into proof of its global impact.

Al Guido is pitching the 49ers as more than a team with a strong overseas following. He wants them treated like a franchise that belongs on the league’s biggest stages. The fan data, the international schedule, and the Super Bowl talk all point the same way – San Francisco is turning their reach into a status symbol.

San Francisco is building a strong fanbase in the Middle East

The Faithful aren’t just limited to US borders. After establishing networks in the UK and Mexico, San Francisco secured marketing, fan-engagement and commercial rights in the UAE in 2025. Per Arab News, this was the franchise’s third such achievement across a span of at least three years. And, according to the publication, the Faithful saw an increase of at least 50% in both the UK and Mexico during these three years.

“Expanding into the UAE is a major milestone for the NFL, and we look forward to growing the Faithful fanbase in this market, following our recent success in Mexico and the UK,” Brent Schoeb, the 49ers chief revenue and marketing officer, told Arab News. They are the first NFL team to activate in the UAE.

In September of that year, the 49ers kicked off things with a youth flag football camp at a school in Dubai. And, San Francisco also has different social media accounts to cater to the Arabic-speaking audience. The Instagram handle has more than 64,000 followers already.

Football may be America’s sport, but the higher-ups in the league have never backed down from an opportunity to go beyond the limits. Thanks to the push from the NFL and the need to compete with other teams, the 49ers are building a steady market for themselves way outside the good old Bay Area.