After capping its record seven-game international slate Sunday in Madrid, the NFL is already planning for what’s set to be an even larger presence abroad in 2026.
“It’s been spectacular,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Sunday at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium before the Dolphins beat the Commanders 16–13 in overtime in front of a crowd of 78,610 fans that watched the league’s debut game in Spain.
Goodell, speaking during an interview on NFL Network, indicated the league is exploring more new markets to play in next year, in addition to debuting in Australia—the Rams will host a to-be-determined opponent in Melbourne—and Rio de Janeiro (the second city in Brazil to host the NFL after successful showings in São Paulo).
“Australia is going to be our big learning test next year,” Goodell said. “We’re excited about that. I think we’ll be back in a lot of the markets we’ve been [in] this year. But we have a couple more that we’re thinking about right now.” Goodell said the NFL is “close” to finalizing those plans. “We’re getting there,” he said.
There could be up to nine games played outside the U.S. next season, and Goodell and many franchise owners want to expand that number to 16 per season in the near future.
This year, the NFL played games in Brazil, Ireland, England, Germany, and Spain. Goodell said the league continues to receive inbound interest from new foreign markets. “The great thing about our success is that so many other cities are reaching out and saying, ‘We want one of these,’” he said. “And that’s a great thing for us.”
The NFL will return to Spain, Goodell confirmed. “Yes, we’ll be back,” he told EFE Deportes.
