Chiefs seek to dominate the world: NFL game in Brazil and its global impact

The Chiefs’ Stellar Arrival in Brazil: A Rockstar-Worthy Welcome

The arrival of the Kansas City Chiefs at São Paulo International Airport was met with a true celebration. Hundreds of Brazilian and South American fans, many of whom were witnessing an NFL game in person for the first time, gathered hours before the team’s arrival to greet and see their idols up close. The euphoric crowd cheered, recorded videos, and chanted the surnames of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. The excitement reached its peak when Kelce surprised a group of women with an effusive greeting, even applauding the warm welcome. Chiefs coach Andy Reid, visibly moved, was surprised to see so many children wearing the team’s red, white, and yellow jersey. Fans displayed banners dedicated to their favorite players and new prospects: “Pacheco, listen to me!”, “Travis, fan for 10 years” and “Welcome, rookie Ashton Gillotte”. This scenario is precisely what the franchise expected when the NFL scheduled the Chiefs to play another international game, the fourth in eleven years, this time against the Los Angeles Chargers in the season opener for both teams.

“It was incredible getting off the plane yesterday. The fans were loud. We landed late, so it’s great to see that the Chiefs are known here in Brazil and well known. We want to bring American football to the whole world. I’m super excited to go out and play in front of the fans. It’s going to be a great atmosphere”.

Patrick Mahomes

Since 2015, when they defeated the Detroit Lions in London, the Chiefs have embraced overseas games as an opportunity to showcase their winning style to a global audience. Their away game success (3-0) led club owner Clark Hunt to express his desire for the team to play an international game every year, whether at home or away. The Friday game, a unique event and the only one of the day with global broadcast, represents a new opportunity to advance this goal. The Chiefs, who have won three Super Bowls since 2019 and have participated in five of the last six, seek to establish themselves as a global team.

“We have been very transparent in our desire to become the team of the world. A big part of that is growing the ‘Kingdom of the Chiefs’ worldwide. We have made great progress in Western Europe in the last decade and now we can come to South America, to the most important country in South America”.

Clark Hunt

In the middle of last season, the Chiefs became the main television attraction of the NFL and the most watched team in the league. The franchise participated in four of the five most watched games in the league for Thanksgiving. Subsequently, the league selected the Chiefs for unique games on Amazon’s ‘Black Friday’ and one of Netflix’s Christmas games. The Chiefs’ victory against the Houston Texans in the AFC divisional round in January generated a record audience for ESPN, with 32.7 million viewers, making it the most watched NFL game in the history of the network.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell shared two reasons why the team was selected to face the Chargers at Corinthians Arena: Hunt’s passion for sharing the sport worldwide and the Chiefs’ success.

“He understands, just like his father [team founder Lamar Hunt] understood, the importance of doing what’s right for the game and the NFL in general, and that elevates all boats. Their success is the reason why I believe they have so many fans around the world. People watch the Super Bowl and see the Chiefs in the Super Bowl and dominating the playoffs. That’s something our fans really appreciate. Having a team that wants to come, and we can showcase our best teams, that’s a great thing for us.”

Roger Goodell

The last time the Chiefs played an international game was at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany, in 2023. In the last decade, the Chiefs brand, along with the recognition of their stars like Mahomes and Kelce, has grown exponentially abroad. The team has been featured in a Hallmark movie, has the most followers on TikTok (5.2 million), and their story and 2024 season were documented in a six-part ESPN series titled “The Kingdom”.

“The NFL tracks the fanbase of each team. You can imagine in 2009 and 2010, we were far from entering the top 10. As great as our fans are, you have the challenge of a smaller market, the challenge of not really succeeding on the field. We have been able to do things off the field, in terms of innovation, marketing, the movies. Things like that have created a much larger fanbase. The good thing for us and our strategy is that one of the reasons we are number 1 is because we have a global fanbase”.

Mark Donovan

Part of this growth is due to the fact that, after Friday’s game, the Chiefs will have played in London (2015), Mexico City (2019), Frankfurt, Germany (2023) and São Paulo, becoming the first NFL team to play a regular season game in four different countries.

“We know it’s going to be wild. We appreciate all the interest. It’s very exciting to be able to come here and have the opportunity to play in this game. We feel privileged to be a kind of ambassadors for the NFL. We know that American football is growing here. We respect soccer. Both can exist at the same time and be very successful”.

Andy Reid

Part of this recognition can be attributed to Taylor Swift, who could, according to team president Mark Donovan, make an appearance on Friday night at the Corinthians Arena.

“She is an authentic member of the ‘Chiefs Kingdom’. From the preliminary information I have, she plans to be [at Chiefs games] a lot more. It’s an incredible opportunity for us, but we try to see her as if she were a member of our family, so we try to treat her that way.”

Mark Donovan

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One of the most memorable moments of Thursday’s press conference was when a reporter told Kelce that he is the most famous player in the NFL. Minutes later, Kelce shared his perspective: much of his fame has risen due to his relationship with the pop megastar.

“I have one more ring because of that,” Kelce said, smiling, referring to his recent relationship with Swift. “Since I’ve been dating Taylor, life has been fun, it’s been exciting. Obviously, many more eyes, and I accept it. I’m living life, living large.”

Travis Kelce

If the Chiefs beat the Chargers, they would tie the Minnesota Vikings for the most international wins (four) without losses. And they hope to win new fans, in Brazil and throughout South America, in the process.

“It’s an exciting moment. You get to hang out with all the guys and this is something we’ll all remember.”

Travis Kelce

Kelce, referring to the 12-hour flight the team took to Brazil, commented that it has been “a unique and different experience. But at the same time, it’s something that will make us feel much prouder of what we are doing here if we can come out with a victory.”

The Chiefs understand that a victory over their AFC West division rival will be the perfect complement to the efforts they have made to market their team and brand to Brazilian fans, fans who hope they will continue to support the team long after the retirement of Reid, Mahomes, Kelce, and Jones. Before Friday’s game, the Chiefs released several videos on their social media to demonstrate how many fans in Brazil have watched their previous games, such as the last Super Bowls. At the Chiefs’ event on Thursday night, the team displayed photographs and artifacts to further familiarize fans with the team’s prominent players and the franchise’s history. Even Goodell and Hunt, as a thank you, served as bartenders for 45 minutes, serving local beers to the fans, taking photos, and chatting with them about the NFL. “The exhibition, from our point of view, I think will be great because more fanatics can now enjoy it.” Roger Goodell Due to their familiarity with foreign travel, the Chiefs had an established routine before the matchup with the Chargers. As with their previous international trips, Reid and his players followed their usual practice schedule: sessions on the field on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday at the team’s training facilities, then boarded their charter plane to São Paulo on Wednesday morning.

Once in Brazil, the Chiefs held their Thursday morning practice at the São Paulo Athletic Club in less than 45 minutes. George Karlaftis, who grew up in Athens until the eighth grade, commented:

“For me, I’m almost used to it; I’ve been traveling back and forth from Greece since I was a kid. Being an international kid, I’m all for more international games. That’s the next step to grow this game.”

George Karlaftis

With such a light practice load, much of the Chiefs’ goal on Thursday was to show the team’s personality to a new audience. Within minutes of his press conference, Kelce perfectly executed a joke at Mahomes’ expense, imitating the quarterback’s voice, which sounds similar to that of Kermit the Frog from The Muppets.

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Jones interrupted the press conference by going on stage with a camera from one of the team’s videographers to capture the initial reactions of his teammate. When it was Jones’ turn to chat with reporters, he shared that he met with the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known in Brazil simply as “Lula”, and guaranteed that he would return to São Paulo. On Friday night, the Chiefs’ plan is to showcase a joyful style of play, one that features many long passes from Mahomes, improvisation and chemistry between Mahomes and Kelce, speed from receivers Xavier Worthy and Pacheco, tenacity from Jones, and tactical blitzes from long-time defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

“You come here to play football, a game. We’re going to play in front of a great fanbase and we’re playing against one of our divisional opponents. It’s going to be a great test for us. But if you’re going to be here, you might as well try to win”.

Patrick Mahomes