Just three months ago, the NFL wasn’t treating an International Super Bowl as a priority, with NFL EVP of club business, international and league events Peter O’Reilly calling it “not a front-burner issue.” But now, Roger Goodell is talking about something even bigger.

“At some point, there will be NFL teams outside the USA,” said Goodell in conversation with former NFL player Markus Kuhn for German broadcaster RTL/ntv. “I have no doubt that this will happen one day.”

Goodell also addressed the possibility of an International Super Bowl, but made one condition clear.

“There are definitely international cities that could host something like that,” he said. “But we would like to see an NFL team in such a city first.”

That could be the biggest clue yet about where the league sees its international expansion heading. The NFL has previously discussed even more ambitious ideas, like the possibility of a European division. In 2022, Goodell said having an entire division in Europe would be easier to accommodate, while two years later he went on to suggest that such a move was more than a decade away. The league, meanwhile, is already laying the groundwork.

This 2026 season will feature the most games played in cities outside the USA, with games set to be played in cities like Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, Munich, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro, with London getting three games. 

“There are definitely international cities that could host something like that,” said Goodell about a possible International Super Bowl, “But we would like to see an NFL team in such a city first.”

Most would assume London is the frontrunner. The league began playing games in London back in 2007. Since then, 42 games have been played in the country. This has meant that the popularity of the NFL has grown significantly in the UK.

The Jacksonville Jaguars particularly have a close affinity to the city of London, as they have been playing International games in the city for a better part of a decade.

“You’ve heard the Commissioner’s (Roger Goodell’s) objective is to ultimately one day to play 16 international games in the event that there’s an 18-game season,” NFL UK General Manager Henry Hodgson told Sky Sports. “And I think if you look at that, I think that’s with the intent that the UK continues to keep the same number of games that we have now.

“I think the objective is sort of growing the global footprint of the sport. But, you know, those key markets like the UK to continue to have the same number of games and to continue having the NFL played locally in Tottenham and at Wembley.”

Aside from the UK, Mexico City, Germany, Canada and Brazil seem like the other options for an NFL franchise. Logistically speaking, Canada makes the most sense due to the geographical proximity to America. Another factor is the presence of the CFL, a league already famous around the world.

The NFL’s Global Market Program, which was launched in 2022, also helped strengthen the league’s international footprint by giving teams marketing rights in specific overseas markets. That in turn paved the way for the first NFL game in South America in 2024 and the league’s first game in Oceania this year.

The other countries also have active fan bases, but another franchise is a big commitment, and the league is not going to decide without having considered all points.

The Houston Texans were recognized as the 32nd team in 2002. But before any speculations on international teams, there are other issues to iron out. 

Concerns around NFL teams being abroad

Travel time and exchange rates are probably the primary logistical concerns, while having international teams opens up the possibility for a player from an American college being drafted to an international team and then having to shift their whole family to play eight home games in a different country. 

Competitive balance would be another challenge. An overseas franchise would have to deal with significantly more travel than its American counterparts, while the NFL would need to find a way to structure the schedule without putting that team at a disadvantage.

Still, the response to international games suggests the demand is there. In 2025, across all seven games played, the lowest attendance recorded was in the Minnesota Vikings’ 21-17 win over the Cleveland Browns at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Just under 62,000 were in attendance, with a capacity of 62,850. 

All other games recorded attendances of over 70,000. The highest attendance came in the form of 86,152 fans who turned up at Wembley Stadium in London to watch Matthew Stafford’s LA Rams dominate the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 35-7 victory. 

Stafford, who threw 5 touchdowns in that game, will begin this season’s campaign at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia when the Rams take on their NFC West division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, in week one. 

This season, iconic stadiums like Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu and the legendary Maracanã Stadium in Rio will host various games, with Tottenham Hotspur Stadium scheduled to host two of the three NFL games in London. 

While the timeline is unclear, the NFL Commissioner’s certainty on the future holding international NFL teams makes turning the NFL into a truly global league inevitable. 

We will be keeping an eye out for more such interesting updates as the NFL grows its international presence.