The NFL's push to host international games could soon include plans for the Super Bowl.
Commissioner Roger Goodell, who had publicly opposed the idea, hinted at the possibility of holding the league's first Super Bowl outside the United States in front of a fan forum in London on Saturday.
“We've traditionally tried to host the Super Bowl in an NFL city. It's always been kind of a reward for cities that have NFL franchises,” he said in response to a question about relocating the game to a neutral site. he said. “But things change. I wouldn't be surprised at all if that happened someday.”
The plan could come to fruition as early as 2028, as Super Bowl venues are fully booked by then.
This season's big game will be held in New Orleans, followed by Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California in 2026 and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California in 2027.
Prior to the start of the 2024 season, there had been 50 regular season international games in league history.
London was the most popular with 36 matches, followed by Toronto (6), Mexico City (5), Munich (2) and Frankfurt (1).
The Eagles and Packers opened this season in international play in Brazil on September 6th, with Philadelphia winning 34-29.
It was the NFL's first regular season game in South America, and more than 45,000 fans gathered in Sao Paulo.
Five international matches will be held in the 2024 season, including Brazil.
In Week 5, the Jets lost 23-17 to the Vikings in London, marking the last Jets game under Robert Saleh, who was replaced by interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.
In London, the Bears and Jaguars will play in Week 6, and the Patriots and Jaguars will play in Week 7. The final international game of the season will be played in Munich in Week 10 between the Giants and the Panthers.
Goodell outlined a plan that would include playing 16 international games each year if the NFL regular season expands to 18 games.
He said there was “no doubt” that Ireland would ultimately host the games and that Rio de Janeiro would also be a host city.
