Why won’t the NFL play in Mexico in 2024?

The NFL has announced that it will not play any games in Mexico in 2024. NFL Executive V.P. Peter O’Reilly, in charge of the league’s international business, stated that the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, which hosted NFL regular-season games in the past, will undergo renovations for the World Cup and won’t be ready to host an NFL game next year. The Estadio Azteca is one of three stadiums in Mexico scheduled to host World Cup matches in 2026, along with Estadio Akron in Guadalajara and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey.

The renovations at Estadio Azteca are expected to take two years to complete, casting doubt over the possibility of the NFL playing a game in Mexico in 2024. However, the NFL may return to Mexico City in 2025, when the stadium is expected to be ready.

In the meantime, the league is exploring other options, and Spain and Brazil are considered potential hosts for games in 2024. London and Germany, which are hosting a total of five games this season, are scheduled to continue hosting games in 2024 as well. The NFL has seen solid interest from fans in Germany, so it’s no surprise the league is considering another game overseas. The Bucs-Seahawks game drove in 5.8 million viewers on NFL Network, and tickets to the game were sold out, with a crowd of 69,811 attending at Allianz Arena.