While the NFL continues to expand its international game slate, the commissioner thinks the league will take it a step further in the future.
Speaking with German outlet RTL/ntv in an interview posted Tuesday, commissioner Roger Goodell said he believes having an NFL franchise outside the United States is a certainty.
"At some point, there will be NFL teams outside the U.S.A. I have no doubt that this will happen one day," Goodell said.
The NFL has taken major steps in expanding its audience across the pond in recent years and is set to play a record nine games outside the U.S. during the 2026 season.
Though the league has primarily focused on Europe and the Americas in recent iterations of the International Series, the NFL is set to debut in Australia (Sept. 11, San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne) this year. It will also play an inaugural game in France (Oct. 25, New Orleans Saints vs. Pittsburgh Steelers in Paris).
London has become a frequent stop for the NFL's international calendar, receiving 42 regular-season games since 2007, including the three games set to take place this season. There are seven more games scheduled in the city from 2027 through 2029, with the possibility of more after the league voted to play as many as 10 international games starting next season.
While having a Super Bowl outside the U.S. was deemed "not a front-burner issue" by the NFL's executive vice president of club business, international and league events Peter O'Reilly, Goodell mentioned in the interview that if a team were to be permanently set up outside of the States, "there are definitely cities that could host something like that."
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