NFL calls on biggest stars to kick off record seven international games in 2025
The 2025-26 NFL season opener in Philadelphia had its share of drama as the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys, 24-20. League executives are pointing to Friday night’s game in Brazil as the most important barometer of just how much their game is growing globally.
The star power of the Kansas City Chiefs will be on full display against the Los Angeles Chargers at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo. It’s the first of a record seven international games for the league this season.
Commissioner Roger Goodell said in October 2024 that the league aims to play as many as 16 games per season overseas, provided the players’ union agrees to the expansion.
Why are the Chiefs the unofficial NFL ambassadors?
The Chiefs have been the marquee attraction for the league on foreign soil, playing four international games in the last 11 seasons, including stops in London, Mexico City and Frankfurt, Germany. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said his players have embraced kicking off the season in new places, with new fans and team adventures.
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The Kansas City Chiefs have played 4 international games in the last 11 seasons, including stops in London, Mexico City and Frankfurt, Germany.
“We’ve been fortunate to play those other places, and the people are so receptive to the game,” Reid said. “We appreciate it. We know what the NFL is all about around the world, and we feel privileged to be an ambassador of sorts to be able to promote it here in Brazil.”
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has run with that “ambassador” title. International media grilled him on everything from his job duties to how the line of scrimmage works. He’s happy to explain the game and said there’s always a contingent of Chiefs fans waiting, wherever the team goes.
“Getting off the plane yesterday was amazing,” Mahomes said Thursday. “The [fans] were loud. We landed late, so it’s really cool to see that the Chiefs are known here in Brazil and well-known. We want to take American football worldwide. I’m super excited to get out there and play in front of the fans. It’s going to be a great environment.”
What effect is Taylor Swift having on the Chiefs?
Those same fans screamed for Mahomes’ favorite target, Travis Kelce, better known by some as Taylor Swift’s fiancé.
“It’s an exciting time,” Kelce said. “You get to hang out around the guys and the team, and this is something that we’ll all remember. So, you’re just kind of in the moment and excited to play some football tomorrow, but just enjoying the process and experiencing new things with the guys.”
There was no way Kelce was getting through an international press conference without being asked about his engagement to Swift. There are reports that the pop star will be in attendance Friday night, and Kelce’s answer to how his life has changed has become its own headline.
“Got one more ring from it, two if we’re counting the first Super Bowl,” Kelce said. “I would say ever since I’ve been dating Taylor, life has been fun. You know it’s been exciting. Obviously, a lot more eyes, and I accept that. But it’s just, I’m living life on a high, I guess. It’s a dream.”
Where are the international games this year?
The NFL is feeling much the same way, with record viewership, record revenue and a plan to take the sport global. The league will go from Friday’s game in Brazil to Dublin, Ireland, at the end of September. Three NFL games are scheduled in London over consecutive weeks during October, along with two games in November — one in Berlin, Germany, and the other in Madrid, Spain, two locations the league has never visited.
Exposing the game to new fans each season is the NFL’s plan, and Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said being there in person is the way to do it.
“That’s where the magic happens,” Harbaugh said. “It happens in real time at a game. Television’s great, and if I can’t be at a game, I’ll watch it. I’ll definitely watch it on TV. And I love it that way, too. But, the real magic happens in real time with the crowd involved.”
What locations could be next?
The league has already announced a game in Australia featuring the Los Angeles Rams in 2026 and is looking at other first-time locations in Europe, South America and Japan.
NFL players, however, are wary of the expansion plans because of the physical toll that international travel takes on them. The collective bargaining agreement with the league says that the two sides must meet this season if they want to negotiate expansion beyond the 10 games per season currently allowed.
Friday’s matchup in Brazil will be broadcast exclusively on YouTube and will be available to viewers without a subscription. That’s a first for both the league and the streaming service.
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