For almost 20 years, the National Football League has gone international. 

The league has been hosting international games since 2007, when teams began playing games in London. There have been regular-season games played in London, Munich and Mexico City. This Sunday, The Pittsburgh Steelers play the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland.

Last year marked the first time the NFL hosted a game in Brazil, when the Kansas City Chiefs played the Philadelphia Eagles. This year, the Chiefs returned to Brazil early this month to play the Los Angeles Chargers.

According to sportsmediawatch.com, the 2024 game had 14.2 million viewers. The 2025 game averaged 18.5 million in the United States and 19.2 million globally.

This is not the first time a major U.S. sports organization has done this. Major League Baseball decided to open the year in Tokyo earlier this year.

Micah Bennett, a senior marketing major at the University of North Georgia, said, “I think the main thought process is to create buzz with a big game and then back it up with streaming. It is more than just selling tickets. It is about building a loyal fanbase and proving that football can become a big thing in a country like Brazil.”

The commissioner of the NFL, Rodger Goodell, said, “They are so excited. It’s fans from all over…We see that growth and it’s clear that this is resonating with people.”

Patrick Corrigan, a senior business administration major at UNG, said, “I think it is a very smart idea for the NFL to have an international game on opening week. The league will most likely see the most amount of viewers throughout the year the first weeks of the year, because people are so excited for football to be back. It gives a chance for the sport to grow outside of the U.S.”