Roger Goodell: NFL certain of future non-U.S. teams, plan precedes abroad Super Bowl

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has "no doubt" that the NFL will eventually include teams based outside of the United States. File Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI Aug. 18 (UPI) -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has "no doubt' about future franchises based outside of the United States, he said in an interview published Tuesday. Goodell, who told German broadcaster RTL/ntv about the plans, also said the league would first "like to see" an NFL team in an abroad city before it could host a Super Bowl. "At some point, there will be NFL teams outside the USA," Goodell said. "I have no doubt that this will happen one day." The NFL played its first regular-season game outside of the United States in 2005 under former commissioner Paul Tagliabue, when the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers met in Mexico City. Goodell, who took over as commissioner in 2006, steered the league into many more abroad regular-season contests, with 61 such games held under his watch. Another nine will be held in 2026, setting a record for the most in the history of the league. NFL team owners voted earlier this year to play as many as 10 international games on an annual basis, starting in 2027. Goodell previously said the league was "well on its way" of playing 16 such games each season, which would allow each team to participate on an annual basis. In May, NFL executive vice president of club business Peter O'Reilly said the idea of an international Super Bowl is "not a front-burner issue" for the league. Goodell's tone was slightly more convicted than it was in previous responses to the question about teams based outside of the United States. In 2023, he told CBS he "didn't know what the future was going to be." Two years later, he said "there's potential" to someday have an international franchise. Goodell has said on multiple occasions that cities outside of the United States are capable of hosting a Super Bowl. "There are definitely international cities that could host something like that," Goodell told RTL/ntv. "But we would like to see an NFL team in such a city first." Super Bowl LXI will be held Feb. 14 in Inglewood, Calif. Atlanta, Las Vegas and Nashville are the other cities previously announced as Super Bowl hosts through 2030.