The NFL has made it clear that it’s on a mission to take over the world, and will play a whopping 10 international games in 2027. This year the league has nine international games scheduled in seven countries and on four continents, with the NFL eyeing new locations in the future.
During a recent interview with Sportico at “Fanatics Fest,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was asked about one international market he wanted his league to crack.
“Not one, I got about 10,” Goodell said.” We had a game in Tokyo, but it was a preseason game so we want to do a regular-season game now.
It’s true that the NFL has actually been to Japan. In fact, they played games in Tokyo and Osaka!
Back in the day, the league used to play what was called an “American Bowl game.” These were preseason matchups that took place in late July or early August, and were played all over the world. That includes locations such as West Berlin in 1990, and Sydney, Australia, in 1999.
The NFL played in the Tokyo Dome a dozen times from 1989 to 2005, so football in Japan wouldn’t be new. However, regular-season football in Japan hasn’t been seen before.
Which NFL teams could play in Japan?
There are a couple of teams that could be natural fits to play in Japan. The Los Angeles Rams have a stake in the country thanks to the NFL’s Global Markets Program. This was launched in 2022 to provide NFL franchises with international marketing rights to build brand awareness and fandom.
That should make them a front-runner to play in Japan when the league finalizes a date.
NFL.com
Another team could be the Washington Commanders. Both of the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks they recently selected at No. 2 overall have connections to Japan. Robert Griffin III was born in Okinawa, Japan, where both of his U.S. Army sergeant parents were stationed at the time, and Jayden Daniels has some Japanese ancestry.
Daniels’ great-grandmother on his mother’s side is from Japan, and he has worn a sticker with the Japanese flag on the back of his helmet to honor her.
2026 NFL international schedule
The NFL will play a record nine games internationally this upcoming season, including the first regular-season game in Australia. Check out the full international schedule below.
The 49ers will rack up an NFL-record amount of miles traveled this season, as they will become the first franchise to play multiple international games in non-consecutive weeks. San Francisco goes to Australia in Week 1, and then Mexico City in Week 11. Thankfully, the 49ers have won more games abroad than any other team without suffering a loss (3-0) since the International Series kicked off in 2007.
Goodell has said that he wants at least 16 international games played per season, with each team getting a chance to play somewhere special. According to the current collective bargaining agreement, the NFL is only allowed to play 10 international games per year. The CBA runs through the 2030 season.
