Since the NFL scheduled its first international game at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City back in 2005, the popularity of these games has soared. On that occasion, the Arizona Cardinals defeated the San Francisco 49ers by 31–14 in front of over 100,000 fans, a record for an NFL regular season game.
With this kind of spectator support, international games became more regular, with the 50th and most recent of its kind taking place at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany, in November 2023. The Indianapolis Colts won the 50th international NFL game by 10-6, defeating the New England Patriots, with 50,144 fans in attendance.
Last December, NFL franchises voted to increase the number of international games per season from four to eight, starting in 2025, continuing the NFL’s strategy of emphasizing global growth. 2023 Resolution JC-7’s adoption means new destinations will join the UK, Germany, Mexico, and 2024’s new addition, Brazil, in hosting NFL games.
On January 11, the NFL announced which franchises will host games during the 2024 regular season, with London’s Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur Stadiums and the Allianz Arena in Munich adding to the games they’ve previously hosted. With renovations to Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca underway in 2024, the venue will be replaced by Arena Corinthians in São Paulo, seeing Brazil host an NFL game for the first time. Games like these are expected to cause a stir at the highest-rated Bitcoin sports betting sites for 2024, as these sportsbooks allow players from all over the world to back their favorite teams and players without the restrictions that apply to gambling in certain countries.
This is less of a problem in the UK, where British NFL punters can make the most of the many betting apps available in the UK to follow the action live in London, with three games scheduled in 2024. The Jacksonville Jaguars, regular visitors to the UK’s capital, will play at Wembley Stadium, with the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears being the 2024 designated home teams at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The opposition and dates for all three fixtures await confirmation.
Germany will host its fourth international NFL game, with the Carolina Panthers appearing for the first time in the country. The designated home team for the debut São Paulo NFL international game is yet to be confirmed. Like the London fixtures, designated away teams and game dates remain unannounced, so German and Brazilian sports bettors have plenty of time to study the NFL odds and form in preparation for the live encounters.
As mentioned earlier, international fans and sports bettors can look forward to additional games from 2025. Speaking after the adoption of 2023 Resolution JC-7, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell explained the reason for the increase in international NFL games:
“Becoming a global sport is a major strategic priority for the league and 32 teams. Increasing international game inventory allows us to grow our global presence and share our game with exciting new markets to connect with more fans around the world.”
Joel Glazer, owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chairman of the NFL’s International Committee, was enthusiastic about the success and future growth of the NFL internationally when addressing the resolution’s adoption:
“As a league, we welcome the update to this resolution that will ultimately see us play more games internationally than ever before, helping us to expand our global footprint and connect our teams and athletes with new audiences. International games have been a huge success, and we are excited for the opportunity to share American football with more fans from around the world in the years ahead.”
With Brazil joining the list of international destinations in 2024, the NFL will have hosted preseason or regular season games on five continents. With the NFL’s ambition to further grow the league’s international popularity, another should follow sooner rather than later.