By Staff
One of the biggest sports stories in Ireland in these early days of 2025 is the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers will be arriving in Dublin in the fall to play the first-ever NFL regular season game in the Emerald Isle. In another corner of Europe, Spanish football fans eagerly await the first-ever match in Madrid. Games will also be played in Germany, Mexico, and Brazil. London will host its now-regular three-game series, including the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have elected London as a kind of second home.
This is all good news for the NFL as a global ‘product.’ It offers those fans who might regularly watch games on television or strategize their NFL point spreads on social media the chance to witness the action in the flesh. Yet, the fact that the NFL will now host eight games abroad for the first time is not met with universal acclaim.
Let’s consider some pros and cons below:
Pro: Opening the Game to a Global Fanbase
These games matter. If you take a kid from Dublin, London, or Madrid to their first NFL game, they will probably remain fans for life. In its pure form, the game would be fine if it was confined to the United States, but the league is a business operating in a global sports market. It needs to have a presence in those markets to rival other companies like the Premier League. As a commercial decision, it makes a lot of sense.
Con: A Detachment from Local Fans
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We mentioned the Steelers coming to Dublin earlier, mainly due to the historical connections between the owners, the Rooney Family, and Ireland. Yet the Rooneys were also seemingly among the least partial to bringing their team abroad. This will be the first time since 2013, a fact welcomed by Pittsburgh locals. Fans want to see their teams play in their home city, as it connects them and the team. That doesn’t get lost entirely when a team plays one game a year abroad, but there is always the chance that they end up paying more. Indeed, there has been talk of relocating teams abroad, particularly London.
Pro: Developing the Global Players
Part of the NFL’s expansion plans is about recruiting players. By and large, the league is relatively homogeneous. It’s an American sport, and most players are American from American colleges. Yet, to grow, the league must look beyond the US, and bringing games abroad is a key aspect of increasing the talent pool that feeds into it. We have seen similar things with the NBA, especially in France. Again, football would be fine if it did not have an international scouting network, but the league wants to scour the globe for the best talent. Playing games abroad is essential for creating a presence leading to grassroots football.
Cons: More Demands on an Already Tough Schedule
The Chicago Bears headed to London for their 6th game of the 2024 regular season. The team was riding high with a winning record, and the Bears duly beat the Jaguars to improve to 4-2. The playoff buzz quickly started. Yet, the Bears went home and lost ten in a row after that. We aren’t saying that the Bears’ capitulation is solely down to playing abroad, but the travel demands can impact a brutal season. Teams tend to get their bye week after, but the more games that get played, the more difficult it is to organize. Nearly all major sports are asking more from their athletes, leading to injuries and other issues.
