Countries Outside the US Where NFL Games Have Been Played

The National Football League (NFL) is one of the most popular and lucrative sports leagues in the world. It isn’t just Americans who are passionate about the NFL matches or excited about the Superbowl. Or those that want to place bets on NFL expert picks.

That’s right—the NFL has taken its show on the road, and we’re going to explore all the places it has played games outside of the US. Get ready for a whirlwind tour of some unexpected and downright wild destinations—here we go!

China

In 2007, the NFL took its first steps into China when it played a preseason game in the People’s Republic. The New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks to become the first NFL champion in China. Since then, the NFL has continued to make inroads into one of its fastest-growing markets. In October 2018, they hosted their second regular season game as part of their international series when they played a match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium between the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks. The league has also served up its product to Chinese audiences on multiple occasions through streaming platforms and terrestrial television broadcasts.

Canada

The National Football League (NFL) has an international presence, and players travel beyond the US in pursuit of their sport. Canada is one such example, as NFL games and teams have been present in the country since 1950. The Toronto Argonauts are one of the longest-running football teams in Canada and have won a total of 15 Grey Cups in their storied history.

In 2013, the NFL added another layer of presence to its Canadian fan base with the establishment of two special outdoor games at Rogers Centre; this was a part of a five-year agreement between the NFL and Rogers Communications that created a showpiece for both American and Canadian fans alike.

The Buffalo Bills are another NFL team to make multiple appearances across the border, as they took part in seven games across Toronto from 2008-2013. This agreement was heavily bolstered by an influx of money to refurbish Ralph Wilson Stadium so it could meet league standards after generations as an outdoor structure. The Bills also hosted regular season games at The Rogers Centre during that time period, reuniting them with passionate fans they had formerly relied upon during their preseason run at Hamilton’s Ivor Wynne Stadium three decades prior.

As it stands now, there are rumors circulating about potentially returning single-game appearances to Canada – but nothing official yet! Until that happens, fans can still enjoy the time-honored tradition between North America’s two neighbors — despite there being no franchise team currently playing across either country’s borderlines.

The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom made up of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland is the most frequent international destination for NFL games outside the US. London’s Wembley Stadium has hosted 20 NFL regular-season games since 2007, including four games in 2020. Other stadiums in the UK that have hosted NFL regular-season games include Twickenham Stadium (2) and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (2).

In 2019, two college football teams also played a game at Fenway Park in London as part of the Cannons Football Classic. The University of Florida Gators defeated Virginia Cavaliers 45–39. In 2021 another college football game will be held at Wembley, with Auburn playing North Carolina.

Aside from England, Northern Ireland’s Belfast was host to an NFL preseason game between the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos in 2010 at Windsor Park in Belfast. Finland was host to its first regular season NFL game when Jacksonville Jaguars took on the Houston Texans at Vantaa’s Helsinki Olympic Stadium in 2018. Scotland held its first-ever international NFL event with a preseason match between Cleveland Browns vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Aviva Stadium in Dublin on August 9th, 2019, and that same month saw a fixture between Oakland Raiders vs. Green Bay Packers take place in Winnipeg’s IG Field Stadium.

Mexico

The National Football League (NFL) has held exhibition games, regular season games, and international series matches in Mexico since 1994. In 2016, Mexico City hosted one of the most-attended NFL games of all time, with over 105,000 fans in attendance. This game, between the Oakland Raiders and the Houston Texans, was held at Estadio Azteca. Since then, there have been numerous NFL matches played in Mexico, including preseason scrimmages and three international series matchups that took place at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, which is now an annual event since 2016.

In 2017, two NFL matches were also held at Estadio Emil Ferrari couched inside Estadio Chivas stadium located in Guadalajara. A third match was initially planned for 2018 but then postponed due to unsatisfactory field conditions. The most recent international series game that took place in Mexico was between the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs on November 19th, 2019, 2017 saw NFL fans across this country watching the New England Patriots vs. Oakland Raiders – a thrilling match where Tom Brady led his team to a 33-8 victory.

The popularity of football continues to rise throughout this region, and thus it is likely that many more NFL matches will take place here in future years!

Japan

Since the 2004 season, the National Football League (NFL) has held multiple games in countries outside of the United States. The first international NFL game was held in Tokyo, Japan, in 2005, and since then, the NFL has held regular-season games in London, England; Mexico City and Monterrey, Mexico; Toronto, Canada; Hangzhou and Beijing, China; Canton (Ohio), Irving (Texas), and Chicago (Illinois); Düsseldorf and Frankfurt Germany; Sweden; Austria; Ireland; Italy.

In 2021, the Kansas City Chiefs visited Yokohama to battle the Buffalo Bills. Other upcoming NFL games outside of US territory will be Mexico City vs. Arizona Cardinals on October 2nd, 2022, and Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons on October 9th, 2022, in London.

Additionally, there have been preseason games played all over Europe, such as in England, Spain, Scandinavia, Russia, and Germany, among others. The NFL also holds events to promote American football throughout Europe, such as their fan favorite, “NFL Academy,” which is an international academy for young athletes interested in getting into American football at a professional level.

Germany

Although American Football is not as widely popular in Europe as it is in the United States, Germany has embraced the sport and has hosted several NFL games. The most recent was part of the NFL’s International Series and took place on October 28th, 2019, at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

The game featured a matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Rams emerged victorious from this high-drama game with a final score of 24-10.

Since that first international game in 1991, Germany has welcomed seven other matchups in cities like Dusseldorf, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, and Frankfurt am Main. Other countries outside of the United States that have hosted NFL games include Mexico City, London (UK), Toronto (Canada), Tokyo (Japan), and an upcoming game between Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons scheduled to take place in Mexico City on October 18th, 2020.