The NFL’s international plans could include hosting the Super Bowl outside the United States for the first time ever, Commissioner Roger Goodell said Saturday.
“We’ve always wanted to have the Super Bowl in an NFL city – to have it be sort of a reward for the cities that have a team in the league,” Goodell said. But things are changing. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if that happened one day. [un Super Bowl à l’étranger]. »
Goodell addressed the subject at a supporters’ forum held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Earlier in the day, he said the league could host 16 international games each year if the regular season were extended to 18 games.
Goodell said Dublin and Rio de Janeiro were likely next on the list.
He added that the Jacksonville Jaguars are considering increasing their number of games in London during renovations to their stadium in Florida.
Team owners have already authorized up to eight international matches.
Goodell suggested it could become 16 – a scenario where all 32 clubs would have a game each year outside the United States.
The key is to expand the regular season by one game and reduce the number of exhibition games to two.
[Avec 18 matchs par équipe]I see us moving to 16 of those games in overseas markets.
Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner
The plan would include a second bye week on the schedule.
The move to an 18-game regular season is seen as inevitable. The players’ union is open to an agreement before the expiration of the current employment contract, ending after the 2030 season.
There are five international matches this season. Goodell said he wants the number to increase to eight “quickly.”
Dublin will probably be the next host city after Madrid, which will host a first match in 2025.
“I have no doubt that we are going to play in Ireland. I don’t know if it will be next year, but it will be soon,” Goodell said.
He cited Rio de Janeiro as a possible site for the next match in Brazil (Sao Paulo hosted one this season), adding that markets in Asia were also being considered.
London has hosted regular season matches since 2007.
In Germany, this has been the case since 2022.