The Carolina Panthers topped the New York Giants 20-17 in overtime today at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. The NFC matchup concluded this year’s five-game International Series, which included games in São Paulo, Brazil, and London, England, which has become a go-to location since the program launched in 2007.
More of the same is coming for these matchups outside U.S. borders. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said on Sunday that the league is eyeing eight international games next year, which would be the most ever in one season. Goodell said the league expects to return to Germany, Brazil and Mexico City, where teams haven’t played since 2022, with a possible stop in Dublin, Ireland. “If that totals eight, then that’s what we’re shooting for,” he said on NFL Network. “We’re looking forward to next year.”
This was made possible after NFL owners approved going from four international games to as many as eight last year. The league is looking to take advantage of that flexibility now as it doubles down on its ongoing initiative to grow the game globally. The NFL continues to add countries and locations to the international slate after hosting a regular season game in South America for the first time earlier this year (a season-opener Philadelphia Eagles win over the Green Bay Packers in São Paulo).
The league is now poised to host its first regular season game in Madrid, Spain, next season on Oct 4. The participating teams haven’t been announced, but it will take place at Real Madrid C.F.’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The 2025 move to Spain’s capital city highlights the rapid growth of the league’s globalization push as Spain becomes the fifth country to participate in the International series.
The expansion of the series also coincides with the growth of the league’s Global Markets Program, which launched in 2022. The program, which allows teams to engage fans and commercialize, has 25 teams participating in 19 international markets. The more NFL games played outside the United States, the more visiting teams are positioned to gain brand awareness in the countries where they are planting roots.
For example, ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently reported the Pittsburgh Steelers are prime candidates to host the league’s first game in Dublin. The Rooney family, which originally immigrated from Ireland and has owned the team since 1933, has deep ties to the Republic of Ireland. The Steelers, along with the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars, have marketing rights in Ireland.