KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The NFL is expanding its global footprint yet again in 2025.
Berlin, Germany, will host its first-ever regular season NFL game at the Olympic Stadium “as part of a multiyear commitment to playing games in the sports metropolis,” per the league.
“Germany has a rich tradition of American football, and the NFL has a deep history with the city of Berlin,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a news release. “We first held a preseason game at the Olympic Stadium 34 years ago, before it was home to NFL Europe’s Berlin Thunder in the early 2000s. Now, with almost 20 million NFL fans in Germany, we’ll make a historic return to the city playing a regular season game for the first time as we open the next chapter in our relationship with Berlin.”
Since 2022, the NFL has held games in Munich and Frankfurt.
The Kansas City Chiefs praised the “playoff atmosphere” of Frankfurt’s Deutsche Bank Park in the team’s 21-14 victory over the Miami Dolphins in November 2023.
RELATED | Years of groundwork in Germany comes to fruition for Chiefs
Berlin's game will be the fifth in the country but first for the capital city.
Iris Spranger, senator for the interior and sports for the State of Berlin, said the city looks forward to the opportunity of “worldwide visibility, numerous international guests, increased tourism and high economic value across the city."
“We’re looking forward to an incredible game and an ongoing successful partnership with the league, as we continue to strengthen the presence of American football throughout the state,” Spranger said in the news release.
The NFL can schedule up to eight international regular season games per season, starting in 2025.
Two games in London and one game in Madrid have been confirmed in addition to Berlin.
Additional locations will be announced at a later date as will “participating teams, schedule and ticket information,” the league said in the release.
Other cities that have previously hosted international games include London, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto.
—
