The NFL has been seeking to broaden its horizons for many years. They initiated their International Series back in 2007 with matches in London, England, and they have since expanded to other cities outside of the United States.
But for the very first time, an NFL game will take place in South America during the 2024 regular season, and the Philadelphia Eagles will be designated as the home team for this event.
The host country will be Brazil, and the game will be held in the city of São Paulo. It is scheduled to take place during Week 1 of the upcoming NFL regular season, although the opponent of the Eagles will not be known until the official schedule is released in the spring.
While this will be the inaugural NFL game in South America, it will not be the first in a Latin American country. Four games have previously been played in Mexico City, with the first one taking place in 2016.
The significance of this game extends beyond its location. In addition to expanding globally, the league also aims to expand across the calendar. Thursday Night Football has been a permanent fixture since 2012, and the NFL successfully held a game on Black Friday last season, which was well-received by Amazon.
In a similar vein, the Eagles’ game against their yet-to-be-determined opponent will be the first Friday night Week 1 game in the NFL since 1950.
Throughout the program’s extensive history, Philadelphia has only participated in one international game. This occurred in 2018 when they emerged victorious with a 24-18 win against the Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London.
In addition to the game in Brazil, the other international games will proceed as planned. The Bears, Vikings, and Jaguars will all have “home” games in London, while the Panthers will be one of the teams competing in Munich, Germany next season. The opponents for all of these matches will also be announced when the schedule is released.