International Games: How the NFL Plays Abroad
Every season some NFL regular-season games are played outside the United States. Here is how those games began, how the teams are chosen, what the trip involves and how the results count.
On a Sunday morning in the fall, a stadium in another country fills with fans wearing jerseys of an American team. Back in the United States, it is breakfast time. The game kicks off in the early hours for the home audience, and for some viewers it replaces the traditional early-afternoon slot. By lunchtime, the result is final, and the winner and the loser both board a long flight home.
Regular-season NFL games abroad are now a fixture of the schedule, and they raise questions that are hard to answer from the television broadcast alone. Why does the league do it? Who gives up a home game? How do teams prepare for a trip across several time zones? Do the games count the same in the standings? And what does it mean for a franchise's identity when one of its home games is played in a foreign city?
This article explains how international games work, from their history to the logistics. We avoid listing particular dates or matchups, since they change every year and appear on the league schedule, and we keep to the structure that stays true from season to season.
A short history of the NFL abroad
The league has been interested in overseas audiences for a long time. A few milestones are worth knowing.
- Preseason exhibitions. In the 1980s, the league began sending teams abroad for preseason games, starting with a series known as the American Bowl, first played in London in 1986. These games were exhibitions, meaning they did not count in the standings.
- A developmental league in Europe. In 1991, the league helped launch a spring league in Europe, which later became known as NFL Europe. It gave young players a place to develop and gave European audiences a local team to follow. The league ended its operation in 2007.
- A first regular-season game in Mexico. In 2005, the league played a regular-season game in Mexico City, marking the first time a regular-season game was played outside the United States under the league's own schedule. The series returned to Mexico in later years.
- Games in Canada. The Buffalo Bills played a series of home games in Toronto in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
- The International Series in London. In 2007, the league played its first regular-season game in London, and the games became an annual event. London has hosted games at more than one stadium over the years.
- Expansion to other countries. More recently, the league has played regular-season games in Germany and Brazil, and it has announced additional countries as the program has grown.
The pattern is steady growth: from preseason showcases, to a single regular-season game abroad each year, to a handful, to a program designed to reach several countries. The league describes the effort as a way to build interest in a sport that is already the most-watched in the United States and has potential fans elsewhere.
Why the league does it
The league's reasons are largely commercial and strategic, and it is fair to say so plainly.
- Growing the audience. Football's global fan base is small compared with soccer's. Playing real games in front of local crowds is a way to build one.
- Media and sponsorship. International interest creates opportunities for broadcast partners and sponsors in other markets.
- Player and talent pipelines. The league has programs to recruit athletes from other countries, including a pathway program that gives international players a route to NFL rosters. Games abroad help raise the sport's profile in those places.
- Brand building for teams. In 2022, the league began a program that allows teams to market themselves in specific foreign countries. Teams are assigned marketing rights in particular countries, which lets them build fan bases there. The details of which team has rights in which place have been updated over time, so check the league's current list.
Critics raise other points, which we cover below. But the central logic is simple: football is a business, and the league sees untapped markets.
How teams are chosen to play abroad
International games are part of the league's schedule, and their assignment is tied to the broader process described in our guide to the NFL schedule formula. A few principles apply.
- Each international game has a designated home team. That team gives up a game that would otherwise be played in its own stadium. In the standings, the game is counted as a home game for that team, and the opponent is credited with a road game.
- Teams are selected over time. The league has used a rotation so that clubs share the burden. Some teams that have been given marketing rights in a country are more likely to be assigned a game there.
- The opponent is determined by the formula. The schedule still follows the usual rules about who plays whom. The league decides which of those games will be moved abroad.
- Stadiums are chosen in advance. The league negotiates with the stadium operators and local authorities well before the schedule is released.
The league has described its schedule as flexible enough to place a growing number of games overseas, and the owners have approved plans to stage more of them over time. Because these decisions change, look at the current schedule for a given season rather than assuming a number.
What a trip involves
Playing a game in another country is more than a long flight. A few of the practical issues:
Travel and time zones
London is several hours ahead of the eastern United States, and cities in Germany are further ahead. Teams usually travel several days before the game to adjust. The league and clubs have had to manage the effects of jet lag on players, with strategies that include shifting sleep schedules, scheduling light practices and managing meals. Teams have different methods, and there is no universal rule.
Passports and logistics
Hundreds of people travel: players, coaches, trainers, equipment staff, medical personnel, video staff, security and executives. Equipment is shipped in advance. Medical supplies and specialized gear must clear customs. The league handles much of the coordination, but each team has its own travel team.
Practice and facilities
The teams need practice fields and weight rooms near their hotels. Local clubs, universities and stadiums provide space. Some teams hold open practices for local fans as part of the visit.
The bye-week question
The league has at times scheduled byes in ways that give teams extra time before or after a trip. There is no blanket rule, and the arrangement depends on the season's schedule. If you want to know whether a particular team has a bye after a trip, check the schedule.
A hypothetical week abroad
To make the logistics concrete, imagine a team that is the visitor in a game scheduled for a Sunday in a European city. The exact plan varies by club, but the shape of the week often looks like this.
| Day | What typically happens |
|---|---|
| Monday and Tuesday | Normal work at home: film, meetings, a lighter practice, since the team will lose time in transit |
| Wednesday or Thursday | The team flies overnight and lands the next morning, a day or two earlier than a domestic trip would require |
| Thursday or Friday | Walk-through at the hotel or a local facility, with a strong focus on sleep and meals at the new schedule |
| Saturday | A final practice at or near the stadium, and a visit to the field to check the surface, the lighting and the sidelines |
| Sunday | The game, usually at a time that suits the American television audience, followed by the flight home |
The team that is the designated home side faces much the same journey, but it also handles the extra duties of a host: coordinating with the stadium, welcoming local visitors and managing a larger group of staff. Neither side gets the comfort of a routine week.
One part of this deserves a note: kickoff times. Games in Europe commonly start in the morning in the eastern United States so that they fit into a viewing window for American audiences, which means a mid-afternoon or early-evening start for the local fans. The league chooses times based on its broadcast agreements, so they can differ from one season to the next.
Stadiums and playing surfaces
The stadiums used abroad are often not built for American football, though some have been adapted. Soccer and rugby venues host many games, so the league works with operators to convert the space. That includes marking the field, installing goalposts, adjusting the sidelines and bringing in equipment.
Playing surface matters, because players are sensitive to it. Some stadiums have grass, and some use artificial turf. A prominent example in London is a stadium with a retractable grass field that reveals an artificial-turf surface underneath, designed so that it can host both soccer and football. The league inspects surfaces ahead of time, and in some cases has asked for repairs or replacement. For a wider look at how stadiums and surfaces differ, see our guide to domes, retractable roofs and playing surfaces.
Weather is a factor, too. A game in northern Europe in the fall may be cold and wet, while a game in Mexico City is affected by altitude, since the city sits high above sea level. Altitude affects how much air players take in, and it can affect how far the ball carries. Teams prepare for those conditions as they would for any unusual venue.
Do the games count the same?
Yes. International games are regular-season games, and the result counts in the standings and the tiebreakers just like any other game. The same rulebook applies. The same officials work the game, drawn from the league's officiating staff. The designated home team is credited with a home game, and the opponent with a road game.
That last detail can matter in tiebreakers that look at home or road records, and in the conversation about fairness. Some commentators note that the designated home team does not get the advantages of a true home game, such as the familiar field and the home crowd. That is a reasonable point, and it is part of why international games are debated. You can view results on our scores page and the schedule page, which show the location of games when the league publishes it.
Trade-offs and criticisms
International games bring benefits and costs, and it is useful to consider both.
Benefits
- New fans and new markets for the sport
- Opportunities for players to experience other countries
- A bigger stage for the league and its partners
- Greater visibility for programs that develop international players
Concerns
- Competitive balance. The team that gives up a home game loses a familiar environment, and travel can be tiring for both sides.
- Season ticket holders. A game moved abroad means fewer home games for fans in the home city, although the league and the teams have tried to address that with policies of their own.
- Player welfare. Long trips and time-zone shifts add stress to a physically demanding season. The players' union has an interest in the issue.
- Field quality. When a game is played on an adapted surface, the risk of problems is higher than in a stadium built for football.
The league and the union address these concerns in the labor agreement and in the schedule. The debate will continue as the number of games grows. The collective bargaining agreement is where many of those rules are set.
How to follow the games
If you want to follow international games, a few tips apply.
- Check the season schedule when it is released. International games are marked, and kickoff times are often earlier than usual for the United States.
- Note the time zone. Your local time may be several hours different from the stadium's time.
- Read the team's page under teams if you want to know who the designated home team is.
- Watch for injury updates. Travel and unfamiliar surfaces can affect the injury report, which you can find on our injuries page.
- Remember that fantasy rules do not change. A game in London counts the same as one in the United States for scoring.
Common misunderstandings
"International games are exhibitions." They are regular-season games and count fully.
"The team that is 'home' abroad has a home crowd." The crowd is often mixed, and the label is administrative.
"Only one team travels." Both teams travel, and the league handles the arrangements.
"The games are the same everywhere." Each location has its own stadium, surface, weather and local audience.
The short version
- Regular-season NFL games abroad began with a game in Mexico City in 2005 and a London series from 2007, following earlier preseason exhibitions and a developmental league in Europe.
- The league's goals are growing its audience, building markets for teams and supporting international talent pipelines.
- Each international game has a designated home team that gives up a home date; the game counts as a regular-season home game for that team.
- Both teams travel, and the trip involves time-zone changes, adapted stadiums and unfamiliar playing surfaces.
- Critics point to competitive balance, ticket holders and player welfare; the labor agreement and league policies address some of these.
- Locations, numbers of games and team assignments change every season, so check the current schedule.