No Doubt About It: Goodell Says NFL Will Plant a Flag Outside the U.S.

The NFL isn't just dipping its toes in international waters anymore — the league is preparing to dive in headfirst. Commissioner Roger Goodell made it crystal clear: a franchise based outside the United States is inevitable.

In a recent sit-down with German outlet RTL/ntv, Goodell told former NFL defensive lineman Markus Kuhn that the league's global expansion is only heading in one direction. "At some point, there will be NFL teams outside the USA," Goodell said. "I have no doubt that this will happen one day."

That's not a maybe. That's a when.

International Super Bowl? Not So Fast

With the NFL planting flags in Melbourne, Rio, Paris, Madrid, Munich, and Mexico City this season, the chatter about a Super Bowl on foreign soil has grown louder. But Peter O'Reilly, the league's EVP of club business and international, pumped the brakes back in May, calling an international Super Bowl "not a front-burner issue."

Goodell, though, left the door wide open. If the NFL plants a team permanently in an international city, that city better believe it's on the short list for the big game. "There are definitely international cities that could host something like that," Goodell said. "But we would like to see an NFL team in such a city first."

Translation: Get a franchise, then we'll talk.

More Games, More Problems (For Other Leagues)

The league isn't waiting around. Earlier this year, NFL owners voted to allow as many as 10 international games starting in 2027 — up from eight. And they stripped teams of the power to protect home games from being shipped overseas. The 2026 slate? Nine international games across two hemispheres, including three in London, plus stops in Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Madrid, Munich, and Mexico City.

The message is loud and clear: The NFL is coming to a stadium near you — no matter where you live.