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NFL Steps Up Global Push as Goodell Leaves Door Open to Overseas Team

Player resistance to an 18th game leaves the timeline for broader scheduling changes unsettled.

Overview

  • The league has committed to nine regular-season games abroad in 2026, including first-ever contests in Melbourne, Paris and Rio, plus games in London, Madrid, Mexico City and Munich.
  • Roger Goodell said an NFL team outside the United States is very possible someday, a remark that Ian Rapoport noted he had not heard before.
  • Officials have outlined a target of 16 international games per season so every team plays overseas annually, with Jeff Miller citing strong demand but logistical limits on supply.
  • Owners continue to tout an 18-game regular season linked to the international slate—Robert Kraft has promoted an 18-and-2 format—while Judy Battista reports the shift is several seasons away and Goodell says it is not a given.
  • NFLPA interim leader David White says players have no appetite to add a game and any change would require bargaining; a Pro Football Talk report ties the undated Super Bowl LXII to a possible 2027 expansion that could add a second bye and shift the calendar.