The league announced Wednesday that the NFL will host a regular-season match in Munich, Germany for the first ever time in its history.
Next season will see five regular-season NFL games being played internationally. Three of these games will take place in London; one in Mexico; one in Germany.
The league was already considering three potential German host cities, Munich Frankfurt and Dusseldorf. It hoped to host its first game in the country by 2023. On Wednesday, however, the NFL announced that it would host its first ever regular-season match in mainland Europe later in the year.
The NFL will host its first fixture next season at the Allianz Arena, Munich. It will then host the Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt in 2023. In 2024, the league will return to Munich and Frankfurt respectively in 2025.
Goodell released a statement before Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles.
“We look forwards to hosting our first game in Germany at Bayern Munich’s stadium later this year and exploring possibilities for a wider collaboration with Bundesliga.”
Next season’s International Series will be the first time that the NFL has visited Germany since 1994, when it hosted five preseason games.
There were also a few host cities in the country for teams participating in the NFL’s international competitions (the World League of American Football and NFL Europe), which took place between 1991 and 2007. However, Munich was not involved in this period.
The league announced December that 18 teams have been granted access to marketing, fan engagement, commercialization in eight countries.
The total number of four teams is 4. Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots Tampa Bay Buccaneers— were granted access into Germany by the NFL. The NFL also stated that it would ensure that franchises could play in international markets where possible.
After coronavirus-related travel restrictions led to the cancellation of the 2020 Series, the NFL’s International Series was resumed last season. In October, there were two games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Atlanta FalconsBeat the New York JetsThen, follow by Jacksonville JaguarsVictory over the Miami DolphinsThe game was held a week later. This was the NFL’s 30th London-based game since 2007, when the Series began.
NFL owners approved a resolution last summer to guarantee four international games each season beginning in 2022, in the United Kingdom. Additionally, all 32 NFL teams would be required to play abroad at least once every eighteen years.
The Green Bay PackersThey are the only team that has never played in an international fixture.