Expanding the Gridiron: Exploring Potential International NFL Franchises and Cities
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American football is no longer just a game for the USA; it is become an internationally loved game. Over the past decade, the NFL has grown its international fan base immensely. The evidence for this is the number of international games the NFL has a year in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Mexico. The fan base is snowballing, and a global expansion seems to be a question of when instead of if. Many cities could be good options for an international team, and it is the last step in making the game truly global.
London
London has been the home of the NFL internationally since the league started its global expansion. Since 2007, the city has hosted a game every year apart from covid years. There are now four games a season in London, with stadiums packed out every time it comes to town. The Jacksonville Jaguars are the team you think of when it comes to the NFL in London, as they are the only team that comes to the UK every year. Rumours have been flying around that the Jaguars would be willing to relocate to London. If this ever happens, they will have an extremely loyal fan base and an excellent city for the players and coaching staff to enjoy. The previous games in London have also shown a genuine demand for a franchise in the UK.
Tokyo
The Japanese capital city may not be the first place that comes to mind when considering the NFL internationally. However, there is a history of the league in Tokyo. The NFL has gone to Japan 13 times, and even though it's probably not at the top of the list to go back, there is no reason why it couldn't be a successful NFL franchise. Tokyo is one of the biggest cities in the world and the most populated. It means that you would have an incredible audience to kickstart a global takeover. Even though travel could be difficult for opposing teams, you could say that about any international side. There's no reason why Tokyo couldn't be the place for the NFL to go global.
Mexico City
Sticking to the continent of North America, Mexico is not far at all from the states, which means that there would be no trouble with the time difference or travel. Currently, Mexico City is part of the NFL's international series games. There's a huge fan base, and it would be fascinating to see what a franchise would look like in Mexico.
Toronto
Toronto teams in American sports leagues are a regular occurrence; the NFL is the only league not to have a team from Toronto. The NBA have the Raptors, the MLB have the Blue Jays, and the NHL have the Maple Leaves. Like Mexico, it borders America, which means there won't be trouble travelling. In addition, there is already a proven market for football in Canada, as the Canadian Football League has been around for years and has proven there is a good market in the country for the sport.
Frankfurt or Munich
Germany has emerged as another massive European market alongside the United Kingdom. The country hosted its first NFL game last season, which was a great success. If Germany were to get an NFL franchise, the question would be, what city gets a team? You can argue that Munich is the clear choice as it has a giant stadium and a massive city. However, Frankfurt will host its first game later this season, and it will be interesting to see how it goes. Germany is the perfect location for an NFL franchise as it is a vast market for the league.
Due to the sport's popularity having an international team seems inevitable, and there would be a lot of great cities that would love an NFL franchise.
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