What’s next for the NFL’s international games?

Sunday’s game in Spain wrapped up a landmark year for the NFL’s global expansion.

Not only was there a record seven regular-season games played overseas this season, they were played across five countries.

And the NFL ended this season’s slate of international games by ticking off two more iconic venues, staging its first games at Berlin’s Olympiastadion and Real Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium.

Henry Hodgson, general manager of NFL UK and Ireland, told BBC Sport the games “remain a very important part of our growth internationally”.

So what’s next for America’s biggest sports league as it aims to capitalise on its growing popularity around the world?

How many international games will there be in 2026?

The NFL’s first regular-season game to be played abroad was in Mexico in 2005 and the UK has hosted annual games since 2007.

Germany was added to the schedule in 2022 but the league’s desire to truly go global began with South America staging its first game in Brazil in 2024.

Four European countries hosted games this season – with Ireland and Spain having their first – and in 2026 Australia will host the first NFL game outside the Americas or Europe.

There will again be games in Brazil and Germany, while the NFL has had a long-term commitment to play three in London each year.

Commissioner Roger Goodell has also said the NFL will return to Mexico, with the Estadio Azteca having been renovated for the 2026 World Cup, although there has been no official confirmation yet.

If announced, that would make it seven international games for 2026. Under the NFL’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, it can play up to 10 per year and the league has been assessing potential host cities worldwide, including the Middle East and Asia.

Will there be more games in London?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have played in London each year from 2013, and twice in 2023.

They are the only team solely responsible for organising an international game so keep all revenues from the event, and team president Mark Lamping told BBC Sport that a Wembley game is more profitable than one in Jacksonville.

But rumours of the Jaguars one day relocating to London were quashed when the Florida franchise committed to a major renovation project of their own stadium costing $1.4bn (£1.1bn).

While that work takes place, the capacity will be reduced in 2026 and the Jags must play elsewhere in 2027, reportedly in Orlando, so they have the option to play two games internationally in 2026 and three in 2027.

“We haven’t determined the number yet,” said Lamping. “First we have to determine where we’ll play in 2027, then if there are scheduling difficulties, that may lead us one way or the other.”

Tickets did not sell as quickly for this season’s London games, but come gameday the attendances at Tottenham and Wembley matched previous years.

Despite there being more international games, many European fans still travel to the UK. BBC Sport spoke to several Germans who attended a London game as they have never managed to get a ticket for a game in their home nation, such is the demand in their homeland.

“NFL fans across Europe are being served incredibly well,” added Hodgson. “There’s lots of opportunities to visit different countries and watch NFL games, but I think there’s [still] more than enough appetite for fans to come and visit us.”

Will the NFL return to Germany, Ireland & Spain?

The NFL launched a global markets programme in 2022, giving teams marketing rights in specific countries, and more have rights in Germany than any other country (11).

Two of them played in the Berlin game on 9 November, when the Indianapolis Colts beat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime, while the other nine hosted events in the German capital that weekend.

Munich and Frankfurt have previously staged games, and the NFL has agreed to return to Berlin in 2027 and 2029.

The league is set to announce which city will host games in 2026 and 2028, and Alexander Steinforth, general manager of NFL Germany, said: “I think we’ll have a good mix of two cities going forward.”

He added that teams are “queueing up” to play in Germany and joked his team “wouldn’t complain” about having multiple games, but they are also “rallying behind the NFL’s efforts to really grow the game internationally, which includes far beyond Germany.

“We know the value of each international game and are supporting our international colleagues to identify those destinations that make the most sense for us as a league.”

Several NFL officials have said the Pittsburgh Steelers’ win in Dublin in September surpassed expectations and the league is still evaluating whether to go back to Ireland.

Commissioner Goodell said the NFL will return to Spain after the Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Commanders in overtime on Sunday, despite it being what ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler called “a nascent market”.

The Dolphins have marketing rights in Spain but Kahler spoke to locals in Madrid’s main plaza last week and “for the most part, they had no idea what the Miami Dolphins or the NFL were”.

“Multiple people asked me ‘que tipo de rugby es’ – what type of rugby is this?”

She added that Spain is “not at the level of football knowledge or fandom that the UK is or Germany, Mexico or even Brazil. I feel like this market was their biggest experiment [yet].”

How does the NFL decide where to play?

The NFL has also looked at playing in Barcelona, with the Nou Camp seen as another iconic stadium the league could tick off once it has been fully renovated.

The league has carried out site visits in several cities, including Paris and Abu Dhabi, and work in potential host markets begins years in advance.

For example, the New Orleans Saints are the only team with marketing rights in France while the San Francisco 49ers are one of three operating in the UAE, and both are engaging with local communities to build interest there.

“We’re monitoring and examining locations around the world,” added Hodgson.

“People often focus on ‘is this stadium viable?’. But actually, the important thing for us is, ‘are those markets going to be viable, not just to play a game in but to grow a fanbase?’. That really is where the decision gets made.”