Roger Goodell Says NFL Team Outside U.S. Is Inevitable

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell believes the league’s international expansion will eventually go well beyond playing a handful of regular-season games overseas. Goodell now says he has “no doubt” that the NFL will one day have teams permanently based outside the United States. Goodell made the comments during an interview with former NFL player Markus Kuhn for German broadcaster RTL/ntv. While he didn’t offer a timetable or identify where the first international franchise could be located, his comments represented another indication of how seriously the league views global expansion.

International Expansion Continues

The NFL’s international schedule has expanded considerably in recent years, and 2026 represents another major step. A record nine regular-season games will be played internationally this season across seven countries and four continents. Host cities include London, Madrid, Munich, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Melbourne and Mexico City. That includes the league’s first regular-season game in Australia, with the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers meeting at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Dallas and Baltimore will play at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã Stadium, while Paris will host an NFL regular-season game for the first time. London remains particularly important to the NFL’s international strategy. The league has regularly played there since 2007, allowing it to test travel, scheduling, stadium operations and fan demand on a long-term basis.

Could an International Team Host a Super Bowl?

Goodell also raised another intriguing possibility. If the NFL eventually establishes a franchise outside the United States, he said that team’s home market could potentially host a Super Bowl. That would represent an enormous shift for a championship game that has traditionally been staged in major U.S. markets. However, placing an NFL franchise overseas would involve considerably more logistical complexity than scheduling occasional international games. Travel distances, competitive balance, player relocation, taxation and scheduling would all need to be addressed. Goodell did not suggest that an international franchise is imminent. His comments instead point toward the NFL’s longer-term strategy of building audiences and commercial relationships in major markets before potentially establishing permanent teams.

London Remains an Obvious Possibility

If the NFL ultimately moves forward, London would appear to be among the strongest candidates. The city has hosted NFL games for nearly two decades and offers multiple NFL-capable stadiums. The Jacksonville Jaguars have developed especially strong ties to London and have played more games there than any other franchise. Germany has also emerged as an important NFL market, while the league continues expanding its presence in Spain, France, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. The 2026 international schedule gives the NFL another opportunity to measure demand across those markets before making any decisions regarding permanent franchises.

Betting Outlook

An international NFL franchise would also create an interesting new dimension for the sports betting industry. NFL games already generate significant wagering internationally, and permanent teams in Europe or other regions could expand interest in futures betting, division odds, player props and weekly game markets. The biggest betting question would involve home-field advantage. Bettors would need to evaluate how visiting teams perform after long-distance travel, while sportsbooks would have to account for unusual scheduling and rest situations when setting point spreads and totals. International expansion could also eventually affect Super Bowl and conference futures if expansion teams are added rather than existing franchises relocated. For now, the betting impact remains largely hypothetical. But Goodell’s latest comments make clear that international NFL franchises are increasingly being discussed as a question of when rather than if.