NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell joked he would not rule out the moon as he emphasised the league's commitment to global expansion ahead of its Paris debut this weekend. The league has no plans to ease off its globe-trotting ventures during a season in which a record nine international games will be played.
France joins Melbourne and Rio de Janeiro as one of three new territories for 2026, when the New Orleans Saints face the Pittsburgh Steelers at Stade de France on Sunday, live on Sky Sports NFL. The game is the newest extension of a format that Goodell likens to Formula 1's reach.
"It could lead to something else," Goodell told Sky Sports. He said Formula One helped him understand the challenges of frequent international travel. "If we can get to 16 [international games] we're fairly close, it's the same number of markets we're reaching on a global basis," he said. "At some point we really have to think about it. Would we create an international franchise? Would we create a division?"
The NFL pushed its boundaries earlier this season by staging its first game in Australia, where the San Francisco 49ers beat the Los Angeles Rams at the MCG in front of 100,000 fans. Goodell said the league is thinking long-term about establishing a presence there. "We're looking! Everything's an option," he joked, when asked how far the league could go.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing