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After the Steelers beat the Vikings 24–21 on Sunday in the first NFL game in Dublin, Minnesota had a much shorter postgame flight than Pittsburgh.
That’s because the Vikings are about to become the league’s first team to play consecutive games in two different countries outside of the U.S. While the Steelers headed home for a bye week Sunday evening, the Vikings made the short trip over to England (about a 90-minute flight) to spend the week getting ready for the next game Sunday against the Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Minnesota has played twice recently at the Premier League venue purpose-built to also host NFL games, in 2022 and 2024. The franchise, owned by the Wilf family, sought out the opportunity to make league history this season with the multi-country road trip, which was revealed during the league’s schedule release in May. The Jaguars have previously played consecutive games in London, but the Vikings are making another first.
The United Kingdom is one of two territories (alongside Canada) that the Vikings have rights to as part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program, which began in 2022. In total, nine NFL franchises have marketing rights in the U.K.
Expanding Borders
NFL teams playing multiple games abroad in the same season could become the norm in the not-too-distant future, as the league continues to expand its international presence.
This season, a record seven games are being played outside the U.S. The NFL currently can schedule up to eight international contests per season, and owners and commissioner Roger Goodell have openly discussed growing that number to 16.
Next season, the NFL will make its debut in Australia and Rio de Janeiro, after two games in São Paulo this year and last season. In November, the Commanders and Dolphins will play the league’s first game in Spain.
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