The NFL Draft going international feels inevitable, and these global cities would be ideal hosts for the league's bold move
The NFL's willingness to explore international markets is a calling card of Roger Goodell's tenure as the league's commissioner. Since he took over almost two decades ago, the NFL emphatically expanded its brand to other countries—a process that included games outside of the United States, the Global Markets Program to incentivize partnerships, and the International […]
The NFL's willingness to explore international markets is a calling card of Roger Goodell's tenure as the league's commissioner. Since he took over almost two decades ago, the NFL emphatically expanded its brand to other countries—a process that included games outside of the United States, the Global Markets Program to incentivize partnerships, and the International Pathway Program to find talent everywhere around the globe.
"My perspective goes back to the '90s," Goodell has said. "We went to Japan, we went to Berlin — what you saw were fans that didn't really understand the game. Now, you go over to London and you have a hard time telling whether you're in London or whether you're in the Meadowlands. The fans there are sophisticated; they understand the game, they appreciate the game. And for me, that's what I think gives us so much confidence that our game can be a global game."
In 2025, the NFL will have seven international games—three in the United Kingdom, and one in each of Brazil, Germany, Spain, and Ireland. Next year, Australia enters the mix, and Mexico could be back in it as well. So it's not crazy to think that the league could place big events abroad.
And the NFL Draft could be a big opportunity to make that happen. After decades in New York, the NFL started rotating host cities for the draft in 2015. This year's edition in a small city like Green Bay proved that the event is flexible enough, and that would be a huge market option for the league. And it's certainly easier to pull this trigger than making a Super Bowl overseas or expanding the NFL with an international franchise. The next two editions will be in Pittsburgh and Washington, DC, but everything is up for grabs after that.
Let's discuss five potential international cities that would be great options for the NFL Draft.
London, United Kingdom
The arguments here are obvious and easy ones. London has a long connection with the NFL, having already hosted almost 40 games—it's been three a season, at Wembley and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frequently, the United Kingdom's capital city is mentioned as a possible target for an international expansion franchise or to even host a Super Bowl.
It's much smoother to pull the trigger on a draft. Being in Europe makes it a big central market, putting people from all Europe closer to the action. Moreover, a flight from New York to London takes seven hours, and all concerns about time difference and logistics during a regular season don't apply to a big offseason event.
As a giant European city, London has all it takes from a logistics perspective to make such a big event—big airport, hotels, transportation.
São Paulo, Brazil
Brazil is one of the biggest NFL markets, and it's probably the one growing the fastest over the past few decades. The league made its first ever game in São Paulo last year with the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers, and it's getting back there in 2025 with the Los Angeles Chargers. There were some concerns with safety, but everything went well.
São Paulo is the most populous (considering metro area) non-Asian city in the world, with more than 21 million people, and it has all the infrastructure needed for this type of event. An important aspect is the time difference. In April, São Paulo is just one hour ahead of Eastern Time.
Munich, Germany
Outside of London, you can see a big desire by the NFL to build its brand in Germany, and Munich is the face of it—ahead of Berlin. Munich offers most of what London can as well, and while the English city has a longer NFL tradition at this point, Germany has something in its favor: geography. Located right in Central Europe, it's the perfect place to receive people from the entire continent.
Toronto, Canada
Canada would be the easiest option to make an international event for every possible reason. It's close to the United States, it's the same Eastern Time, it's the same primary language (at least outside of Québec), and there are obvious cultural similarities. Toronto has already hosted several NFL games, but hasn't since 2013 when the Bills Toronto Series was canceled.
The GTA is a perfect location for big events, and the logistics for the league would be ideal, so the draft would be a smart way to get back to the North.
Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico is the biggest football market outside of the United States, with a big and established fan base. Because of the geographical proximity to the US, Mexico has been closer to football for much longer than Brazil, for example. And just like São Paulo, Mexico City is a big market. The city has had problems with the Azteca Stadium to host a real game over the past few years, but it's more realistic to host a draft. The short distance and great local food are two obvious pluses for the league.
