Rumors about the NFL eventually creating a four-team European division as part of an expected league expansion have existed for years.
Unsurprisingly, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell seems to be in favor of such a division being created at some point down the road.
Roger Goodell has “no doubt” NFL teams will exist and operate outside of the United States
Per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, Goodell recently spoke with former player Markus Kuhn for an interview with German broadcaster RTL/ntv. During that chat, Goodell shared a bold prediction about what is to come for the league.
“At some point, there will be NFL teams outside the USA. I have no doubt that this will happen one day,” Goodell confidently said.
As noted by the NFL’s website, the league is hosting nine regular-season games in international markets from September through this coming November. The first of those contests will feature the Los Angeles Rams facing the rival San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 10 (U.S. time).
It’s no secret that NFL owners want every team to play at least one game per season in an overseas market as part of a schedule format that would involve clubs playing 18 regular-season games and two preseason contests each campaign. That said, it was reported in July that the current 17-game schedule will likely exist through at least 2027.
Per the terms of the collective bargaining agreement that runs through the 2030 campaign, the NFL Players Association must agree to any expansion of the regular season. Thus far, the union has pushed back against adding another week of meaningful games to the schedule.
Will the Super Bowl eventually take place outside of the United States?
Since at least 2022, rumors have suggested that a stadium in London or Australia will eventually host a Super Bowl. Goodell touched upon that subject while speaking with Kuhn.
“There are definitely international cities that could host something like that,” Goodell said about a future Super Bowl. “But we would like to see an NFL team in such a city first.”
As shared by Fox Sports, Super Bowl locations are locked down through 2030. Of course, one can only guess in August 2026 what the league will and won’t look like after Super Bowl LXIV takes place in Nashville, Tenn.