Goodell: NFL Teams Embrace International Expansion
DUBLIN – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in Dublin that convincing league teams to play international games is no longer a difficult task. This, on the eve of the NFL’s first regular season game in Ireland. During a musical event in the city center on Saturday, Goodell highlighted that the teams have enthusiastically embraced the global expansion of the sport. Instead of persuading teams to participate in international events, they now volunteer.Due to this acceptance, Goodell reiterated his desire for there to be 16 international games, allowing each team to participate in one per season. The NFL is expanding to host a game in Australia in 2026, and the next step, according to Goodell, is “probably” to organize games in Asia.In today’s world, we must be global. Every time we play an international match, the fans ask for more. I really believe that our game can and will be global. Our job is to share our game with the rest of the world.
Roger Goodell
Part of this strategy includes the NFL’s first regular season game in Ireland, between the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Croke Park on Sunday. The Steelers have strong ties to Ireland due to the Rooney family’s emigration from the island, and the late Dan Rooney was the U.S. ambassador to Ireland. “The Steelers pressured us a lot to come here,” Goodell commented. Art Rooney II, Steelers owner and president, smiled and added: “That’s a fair assessment.” Goodell pointed out that, although in most international matches the fans are usually 90% from the host country, he expects at least 30% of the fans in Croke Park to be from the United States. “I have no doubt this will be incredibly successful,” Goodell said of the game in Ireland. “And I have no doubt we’ll be back.”We take being a global sport seriously.
Roger Goodell
