London’s NFL team? The Jaguars just made it official
The NFL announced the teams hosting games in London in 2026 and to no one’s surprise, Jacksonville is on the list. But this year, they’re on it twice.
The NFL didn’t unveil a new London expansion team on Wednesday morning, but it came as close to that as it ever has.
When the league announced that the Jacksonville Jaguars will host two home games in London in 2026, one at Wembley Stadium and another at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they reinforced something that has been true for more than a decade. London already has a team. And it wears teal.
Jaguars’ home away from home in the UK
This will mark the 15th time Jacksonville has played in London, and no franchise in the league comes close to that level of international consistency. The Jaguars have been making the annual transatlantic trip since 2013 (with the exception of the pandemic year in 2020), building something far more permanent than a one-off “International Series” appearance.
Now, in 2026, they’ll do something no other NFL team has done when they play two home games in London in the same season.
What started as an NFL growth experiment has now turned into a long-term project. The Jaguars have a 7-7 record in London and a 2-1 mark at Tottenham. More importantly, they have a fan base there that shows up year after year, no longer just out of curiosity, but loyalty.
Head coach Liam Coen said last season felt like playing in a “home away from home.” At this point, that phrase might undersell it.
The Jaguars have operational control of their Wembley game. They’ve embedded themselves in the U.K. market. And with EverBank Stadium undergoing a $1.4 billion renovation, limiting capacity in 2026 and forcing creative scheduling through 2027, the international presence is only going to accelerate.
The NFL’s global era has a flagbearer
The 2026 season will feature a record nine international games across seven countries, including the U.K., Germany, Spain, France, Brazil, Mexico and Australia.
But while other teams rotate through the global spotlight, Jacksonville is the constant. The Washington Commanders will also host a London game in 2026. The Detroit Lions are headed to Munich. The Dallas Cowboys will play in Brazil.
Those are events, but the Jaguars are infrastructure. If the NFL ever formally expands overseas, the blueprint is already in place. And if London ever gets a permanent franchise, the groundwork has been laid by one team more than any other.
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