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What Would an NFL Global Expansion League Look Like?

Will Brown by Will Brown, August 12, 2025

NFL game in London

In recent years, speculation has grown louder around the potential for an NFL global expansion into Canada, Mexico, the UK, or Europe. The league has done little to quell these rumors, with 2025 seeing a continued investment into its International Series events and Global Markets program. But what is the likelihood of an international franchise or league starting, and how would it be implemented if it were to go ahead? We’ve discussed this and more in this guide.

Will There Be an International NFL Team Expansion?

While there has been no confirmation from the NFL regarding an international or domestic NFL team expansion, it’s no secret that the league is working hard to boost its global following. This has been done through its global initiatives, which we’ve covered in the first section of this article.

We’ve then looked at the prospects of a new franchise opening in Europe, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific region, before offering thoughts on how an international expansion could work. To round out this article, we’ve highlighted the major challenges that an international league would need to address to be sustainable.

About the NFL Global Initiatives

While the NFL’s efforts to expand into international markets started in earnest in the 2000s, the last few years has seen the league double down on its efforts through several initiatives. The first is the International Series, which launched in 2005 with a regular season game held in Mexico City.

Since then, games have been held in London, Germany, and Brazil, with upcoming games scheduled to expand into Spain, Ireland, and Australia. These overseas games have also been hugely successful, with huge attendance figures, high television viewership, and broadcasting rights revenues estimated to draw around $1 billion per year.

Another major initiative has been its Global Markets Program (GMP). Launched in 2022, the GMP allows current NFL teams to partner with global markets over five years. Teams are granted exclusive marketing rights across those nations, can host fan events and youth programs, and seek commercial opportunities as they would in their home towns.

In 2025, the last three NFL franchises joined the GMP, which now sees 32 teams represented across 21 countries. One of the biggest advantages of this program is that it opens new revenue streams for teams. For example, if the New Orleans Saints are successful in establishing a fan base in their partner country of France, they could generate additional merchandising sales.

Another is that through programs such as NFL Flag, the league can nurture and strengthen a talent pipeline through youth training programs just as the NBA and NHL have been doing for decades. This could also help to prepare a new generation of players to compete in local leagues or future NFL expansion teams.

But what is the likelihood of an NFL expansion in Europe, the UK, Mexico, or beyond? In the upcoming sections, we will explore the prospects and challenges of each major potential global market.

NFL Expansion in Europe and the UK

If there were to be an NFL expansion to 36 teams through global markets, it would be logical to establish franchises in England, Ireland, Spain, and Germany. Specifically, London would be a great option, with its most recent game at Wembley Stadium in October 2024 selling over 86,000 tickets.

By the end of 2025, there will have been over 40 regular-season games held in the city, with both Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur Stadiums proving capable of hosting NFL games. There are an estimated 13 million NFL fans in the UK, which is more than enough to support a local team. Flight times to the UK from Los Angeles can also be achieved in 11 hours, which isn’t too much of a stress.

Germany is also a viable market for an NFL global expansion team. There are approximately 19 million fans across Germany, and a regular season game in November 2024 in Munich attracted an audience of over 70,000. The league has committed to playing four games a year in Munich to help develop the local market further.

Other potential markets include France and the Netherlands. The biggest arguments for at least a division in Europe is that many cities host state-of-the-art stadiums, supporting infrastructure, and avid fanbases. There are also great marketing opportunities, with top NFL sportsbooks such as bet365 that are league partners already having a presence in the region.

NFL in the Americas

Of course, the most convenient expansion opportunity would be to open new franchises in Canada, Mexico, and even South American nations such as Brazil or Argentina. Both Canada and Mexico benefit from close cultural ties and geographical proximity to the US, meaning that there wouldn’t be any huge logistical errors to navigate.

The six games held in Mexico have attracted between 70,000 and 103,000 fans, while Canada’s presence in the NHL has already proven that international play is possible. Mexico has the largest international fan base for the NFL outside of the US, with 23 million fans, while 12.5 million people, or roughly one-third of Canada’s population, are fans.

Brazil has also proven itself more than capable of hosting major sporting events, with Rio’s FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games seeing the construction of sufficient sporting infrastructure. Outside of a domestic NFL team expansion, the most logical step would be a new franchise in a neighboring country of the Americas.

NFL in the Asia Pacific Regio

While it’s almost impossible that a new NFL franchise will open in the Asia Pacific region due to geographical constraints, it does represent a lucrative opportunity for an international division. In 2026, Australia is set to host a regular season game in Melbourne, a city that has a wealth of sporting infrastructure and sports-loving fans.

It’s expected that at least one game will be held per year in the city over the coming years. In Asia, South Korea is estimated to have an NFL fanbase of around seven million. Like Japan, the country has regularly embraced US sports such as basketball and offers a lucrative marketing opportunity to the league.

The Los Angeles Rams have partnered with these three countries as well as New Zealand, which will likely fuel the rise of American football’s popularity in the coming years. With huge populations with sports-loving reputations, the potential for the NFL’s economic growth in the region is immense.

How International NFL Could Work

There are two potential prospects for an NFL international expansion. The first, and most complex, would be to open new franchises that eventually compete against US teams. While teams in Canada or Mexico could comfortably compete in existing NFL divisions, an NFL expansion in Europe or Asia-Pacific countries would require regional divisions.

Once these teams complete regular season play, they would ultimately compete against US teams in the play-offs. This would limit transcontinental travel for local teams, which is important to maintain the health, well-being, and competitive abilities of players. It would also ensure fans do not have to travel far to see their teams play.

Alternatively, the NFL could simply spearhead the establishment of entirely different international leagues that would operate semi-independently. One exciting result from this could be quadrennial World Cup events similar to what is seen with soccer and rugby union.

Challenges Facing a Global NFL League

One of the biggest challenges facing an NFL global expansion would be player management. Even if international divisions were run, issues such as scheduling for time zone differences and accommodating travel and recovery days would need to be worked out. There also remains the question of transporting equipment and staff across long distances.

Broadcasting also presents some challenges, but it offers new opportunities for the league to profit from new streaming and television broadcast deals. As for entering new markets, the NFL faces stiff competition from other popular sports such as soccer, cricket, and rugby

This could require the construction of costly new infrastructure, as well as strong cultural connections with local fan bases to sustain it. This all becomes difficult without local operations, which are also expensive. The league would also need to meet international regulatory standards relating to working visas and taxation to be viable.

Nevertheless, as one of the world’s richest sports leagues, the NFL seems capable of pulling off the feat. For now, stakeholders will be watching the success of the International Series and Global Markets Program closely to identify potential opportunities and risks.

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