Roger Goodell, commissioner of the league, continues with Madrid in mind
MADRID, 13 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The National Football League (NFL) announced this Wednesday that it will hold a regular season game in São Paulo (Brazil) in 2024, the first in its history in South America, while “continuing to emphasize global growth as an important strategic priority.”
This was indicated by the NFL itself on its website, in accordance with a historic first game in South America that will take place at the Corinthians Arena, home of the Sport Club Corinthians soccer club. “The stadium was the official venue for both the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics,” the press release recalled.
“With the game in South America, the NFL will have played a game (preseason or regular season) on five of the seven continents of the world,” the note stressed regarding the announcement made by Roger Goodell, commissioner of the NFL, during a meeting in Dallas. (Texas).
“Bringing the NFL to new continents, countries and cities around the world is a critical element of our plan to continue growing the game globally,” Goodell said. “Brazil has established itself as a key market for the NFL and we are excited to play in Brazil and São Paulo for the first time in 2024,” he added.
The NFL commissioner thanked the São Paulo institutions for their support. “We look forward to working with the city of São Paulo, SP Turis and Arena Corinthians to deliver a world-class matchday experience to this passionate and growing fan base,” he said.
Goodell confirmed last October that the NFL had sent employees to Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Madrid in early 2023 to explore possible locations to host regular season games. France and Australia have also been options considered as venues to host future matches.
The São Paulo match will be one of five regular season NFL games that will be played internationally throughout 2024. Three will be in London (United Kingdom), two at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and one at Wembley Stadium, and another will be held at the Allianz Arena in Munich (Germany).
The designated teams for each NFL international match will be announced in early 2024 and details on specific dates, matchups and kick-off times will be confirmed later when the full 2024 schedule is announced.
Brazil is an important market for the league, with more than 38 million American soccer fans; 8.3 million of them are “avid” fans, according to the NFL press release, which described this fan base as the second largest international after Mexico.
Ricardo Nunes, mayor of São Paulo, accompanied Commissioner Goodell in Dallas during the announcement. “The NFL's decision to bring a regular season game is significant and exciting for the city, cementing São Paulo and Brazil at the center of the world sports stage,” said Nunes.
“Through our hard work, we will now be able to welcome the NFL to our city, hosting this historic game that will have a positive impact on tourism, employment and the city's economy,” added the mayor of São Paulo. .