The NFL has made it a point to expand their global footprint throughout Roger Goodell's tenure as commissioner. The International Series is set to reach an all-time high of nine games in 2026, including the first-ever regular season game in Australia in Week 1, but Goodell doesn't want to just stop at a larger slate of international games.
ESPN.com is reporting that Goodell recently told a German outlet that he has "no doubt" that the NFL will have teams outside the United States at some point. Goodell didn't elaborate on when a team could be set up in an international locale, but it could become a legacy goal for him before he retires.
The NFL has played international games in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, France, Brazil and Germany, Mexico and Canada over the years while also holding exhibitions in Japan as part of the American Bowl series. Let's take a look at five cities that would be the favorites to land the first NFL team outside the United States when the time comes.
5. Paris, France
It took the NFL a minute to get to France but they have now set back-to-back seasons of French football games. The prestige of having an NFL team in Paris, one of the most recognizable cities in the world, would also surely appeal to Goodell as a sign of how far the league's reach has grown under his watch.
There is a bit more leg work to do in the Parisian market, however, as they got games far later than the UK or Germany did. Time zone logicistics could also factor in here since Paris is a nearly eight and a half hour flight to the East Coast, which could make travel complicated when there are teams in the league as far west as Seattle.
4. Berlin, Germany
Few European markets have embraced the NFL more than Germany, which has a strong base of football fans for the league to cultivate. The NFL has clearly made the German market its highest priority outside of England, sending strong brands like the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots to play games in Germany over the years.
The time zone concerns that the NFL would have with Paris would be more exacerbated with Berlin, which is nearly nine hours from the East Coast with a non-stop flight. If the NFL ever does a full European division Berlin would be heavily favored to get a team, but they would appear unlikely to get the first full-fledged international squad.
3. London, England
There isn't an international city more linked to the NFL than London, which has hosted at least one NFL game in every season since 2007 (minus the 2020 COVID-impacted campaign). The Jacksonville Jaguars also have their own arrangement with the city of London, hosting one game there annually at Wembley Stadium, leading to rumors they could land there eventually if things don't work out for the franchise in Florida.
The connection with the Jaguars makes it unlikely that Goodell wants to give England the first NFL franchise outside of the United States. It seems more likely that the NFL could give London even more regular season games if Goodell gets his wish to have a full 16-game international slate at some point, with the potential of the market staging the first-ever international doubleheader with one game at Wembley followed by one at Tottenham Hotspur.
2. Toronto, Canada
The NFL has poked around the Canadian market in the past, notably seeing the Buffalo Bills play a series of preseason and regular games in Toronto between 2008 and 2012. The series was not extended due to poor performance for Buffalo in Canada, but the market remains relatively untapped in an NFL sense with the potential for a team to seize the attention of a whole country like the Raptors and Blue Jays do in the NBA and MLB, respectively.
Putting a team in Canada would be a far smoother logistical operation for the league, which could use the franchise as proof of concept before considering European expansion. We'll have to see if the NFL tries to get Canada back into the International Series rotation soon, which could happen if the league gets a full 16-game slate of international games in its next CBA.
1. Mexico City, Mexico
No major American professional sports league has ever set up shop in Mexico on a permanent basis, giving the NFL a chance to make a name for itself by being the first. Mexico City has been a prominent destination for the International Series over the years, with the league set to return to a newly renovated Estadio Azteca this season and in each of the following two years.
The geographical logistics of an NFL team in Mexico City would work quite nicely, allowing them to have natural rivalries with Houston, Dallas and Arizona. Few markets are more untapped for the four major sports leagues than Mexico City, which could give the NFL a huge marketing opportunity if they plant their flag at Azteca sooner rather than later.
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