As the NFL world turns, the league’s international slate resumes this week with the Vikings and Jets facing off Sunday in London, England. And as the global expansion of the league continues, there’s one corner of the world the NFL may soon penetrate.
The NFL conducted a site visit to Abu Dhabi within the past year, five sources told CBS Sports, scouting out the United Arab Emirates capital city to potentially host an NFL regular-season game in the coming years.
The Middle Eastern city is one of several site visits for the league, according to sources. The NFL has also looked at Paris, France; Barcelona, Spain; Rome, Italy; Dublin, Ireland; and the Australian cities of Sydney and Melbourne.
The NFL has held regular season games outside of the United States, beginning first with Mexico City, Mexico, and expanding in 2007 to London, England, where more international NFL games have been played than any other nation. This year the NFL will produce five games outside of America: A Week 1 game in São Paolo, Brazil; three in London; and one in Munich, Germany.
Next season, the NFL can expand its international helping to eight games. The league has already stated its intentions for a 2025 game in Madrid, Spain, and it’s logical to assume the two London games plus a Germany game will continue. The NFL has also hoped to return to Mexico City after a two-year hiatus due to stadium construction, and the Brazil game was considered a success by many in the league office.
“As the NFL looks to expand its international footprint going forward, the league is evaluating sites for potential future games in markets such as France, Ireland, Australia, Italy, UAE and multiple others,” a league source said, “as well as a likely return to Brazil and Mexico, a first-ever game in Spain next season and continued games in London and across Germany.”
That still leaves at least two slots open to hit the…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-considers-and-tours-abu-dhabi-as-expanding-international-series-looks-for-new-host-cities/
Author : Jonathan Jones
Publish date : 2024-10-04 13:57:10
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