How many NFL regular-season games were played outside the U.S? Who's hosted the first one?
With the NFL playing over 30 regular-season games outside of the U.S. since 2005, it might be of no surprise to see the Super Bowl played overseas.
During the 2022 NFL season, the Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will each play international games. The Bucs will head to Germany as the Cardinals make their first appearance in the U.K.
American Football has had a good 102 games played on foreign soil since 1926, including the precursor leagues the AFL of 1926, AAFC (All-America Football Conference), and the AFL. These also include the Canadian Football League, China Bowl, and exhibition games. However, the first-ever regular season game played outside the U.S. was in 2005. But just who hosted it?
Where was the first NFL game outside of the U.S. played?
Mexico City's Azteca Stadium was the host of the very first NFL regular-season game outside of the country. The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers took on the Stadium with the league's highest game attendance at the time with 103,467 spectators. Since then, there have been 38 regular season games overseas. London, the U.K., has hosted 28 NFL games, while Canada played host to six games, and Mexico to four.
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Will the Super Bowl ever be played outside the US?
Tottenham, or Spurs, have launched an “audacious” bid to host the Super Bowl at their London stadium in 2026, their first available year for them to hold the game.
The North London club already has a £40 million staging contract with the NFL, agreed to host two regular season NFL games a year at their home stadium. This arrangement is set to run through for six more years, until 2028.
The Super Bowl sites for 2023-25 are already set for Glendale, Arizona, Las Vegas and New Orleans.