What started as a wave of tartan-clad visitors in Boston may have revealed an unexpected opportunity for the New England Patriots. The six-time Super Bowl-winning team has already been to the United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany, and Canada as part of the NFL’s global expansion. And after hosting two 2026 FIFA World Cup games at Gillette Stadium, owner Robert Kraft made up his mind on the Patriots’ next international game destination.

According to Nicole Yang of The Boston Globe, Kraft has now “planted the seed for his team to play in what would be Scotland’s first NFL game.”

This reported idea from the Patriots’ owner didn’t come out of nowhere. It stemmed from watching around 50,000 Scottish soccer fans, famously known as the “Tartan Army,” swarm the streets of Boston. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway, and Patriots’ home, Gillette Stadium (temporarily rebranded as Boston Stadium), served as Scotland’s base for their opening group-stage matches against Haiti and Morocco.

They beat Haiti 1-0 while falling short against Morocco 0-1 in the subsequent match of the group stage. But what particularly may have sparked Robert Kraft’s idea was the Tartan Army’s passion for their nation’s soccer team, which prompted them to arrive in thousands in Boston to leave their footprints.

From concerns around strain on Boston’s alcohol supply to supporters parading through the narrow streets while playing bagpipes, the Scots made their presence felt in Boston and its nearby areas.

However, amid that, they also didn’t forget to give back to the community. The Tartan Army left a positive footprint by cleaning up the city streets after their post-match celebrations and raising thousands of dollars for local charities, including the Boston Children’s Hospital cancer unit. All these antics may have been the reason to push towards the Patriots’ potential footprint in Scotland.

This also leaves one to speculate on potential venues to host a football game in the Land of Cakes. There are many stadiums with the potential to host NFL games in Scotland. However, among them, the Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh and Hampden Park in Glasgow stand out as the most equipped grounds.

In terms of capacity, Murrayfield has a capacity of around 67,000, while Hampden Park can seat around 52,000 spectators. Meanwhile, in terms of history, both the stadiums served as home pitches for the Scottish Claymores in the NFL Europa league between 1995 and 2004, with Murrayfield even hosting World Bowl ’96.

However, the ultimate decision would lie in the hands of the NFL. But Robert Kraft appeared quite invested in the proposition, as it would help the Patriots gain a global fan base. The movement of hosting regular-season international games started in 2005. As things stand, the NFL has visited 9 different countries outside of the U.S., and in the upcoming season, two new countries will appear for the first time.

A look into NFL and Patriots’ 2026 International schedule

Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Brazil, Ireland, and Spain stand as the nations which already hosted regular-season NFL games. However, this year, France and Australia will join this esteemed list by hosting the Week 1 matchup between the 49ers and Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and the Week 9 game between the Bengals and Falcons at Santiago Bernabeu.

Robert Kraft’s New England Patriots will also make their international presence in the 2026 season. They are scheduled for a Week 10 clash on November 15 against the Lions at Allianz Arena. Before this season, the Patriots have played in 5 international regular-season games in the UK, Mexico, and Germany.

Now, all these are part of the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell’s push towards a global presence. And in Goodell’s mind, the ambition is to eventually reach 16 international games per year so that each team can play in one.

“That’s an important mark to shoot for, and I think we’re on our way,” Goodell said in February. “It’s the ambition we have to be a global sport, but it’s also the demand we’re having. We’re hearing from cities that want to host these games and really want to get more American football.”

Through this move, the stakeholders aim to transform football from a North American sport into a dominant global entertainment property. And only time will tell how soon Scotland can be part of the NFL’s plans.

Check out the entire 2026 NFL regular-season international games schedule below:

• Week 1 (Sept 10): San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (Melbourne, Australia)
• Week 3 (Sept 27): Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys at Maracanã Stadium (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
• Week 4 (Oct 4): Indianapolis Colts vs. Washington Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London, UK)
• Week 5 (Oct 11): Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London, UK)
• Week 6 (Oct 18): Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium (London, UK)
• Week 7 (Oct 25): Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New Orleans Saints at Stade de France (Paris, France)
• Week 9 (Nov 8): Cincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta Falcons at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (Madrid, Spain)
• Week 10 (Nov 15): New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions at Allianz Arena (Munich, Germany)
• Week 11 (Nov 22): Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers at Estadio Banorte (Mexico)