List of NFL games played outside the United States explained

The National Football League (NFL) has played numerous games outside the United States. All of the league's current and former teams have been based in the contiguous United States, with only the Pro Bowl played in a non-contiguous U.S. state (Hawaii).

Canadian Football League interleague games

Six games held in Canada between 1950 and 1961 pitted NFL teams against Canadian Football League (CFL) (or precursor) teams. These games were a hybrid of American and Canadian football. Ottawa hosted the first two games, while Toronto hosted three of the remaining four and Montreal held one; the first game ever held in Toronto featuring an NFL team was in August 1959 and inaugurated the city's Exhibition Stadium. One game was played between the AFL's Buffalo Bills and CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats in August 1961, with Hamilton winning 38–21. There was also a game in 1960 that pitted the Chicago Bears against the New York Giants played in Toronto; this was in return for a 1958 CFL matchup that was played in Philadelphia.

The Western Interprovincial Football Union (later the Western Conference of the CFL) was never involved in interleague play with the NFL, although its teams occasionally played members of other rival U.S. leagues in the circuit's early years. At the time, the Western teams were still struggling to gain recognition within Canada as the Eastern Conference's competitive equal. A more practical factor inhibiting Western interleague play with the NFL was the prohibitive amount of time it would have taken to travel by rail from an NFL city to Western Canada for an exhibition game (the CFL did not even implement regular season interconference play until air travel came to be seen as a safe means of transport in the 1960s). Also, by the 1950s the West was already playing its regular season in August while the Eastern Conference still started its season around the same time as the NFL.

Global Cup

In the summer of 1983 an English entrepreneur named John Marshall hired Wembley Stadium and brought the Minnesota Vikings and St. Louis Cardinals over to play a pre-season exhibition game called The Global Cup. Just over 30,000 fans turned out that day to witness the game. In 1984, Marshall invited the United States Football League's Tampa Bay Bandits and Philadelphia Stars to play a post season exhibition game in July.

American Bowl

See main article: article and American Bowl. The American Bowl was a series of NFL pre-season exhibition games that were held at sites outside the United States between 1986 and 2005. The league started the American Bowl series in 1986 primarily to promote American football in other countries. The American Bowl was a fifth pre-season game, played the same weekend as the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, and did not take away a game from the participating teams' pre-season schedules. At least one American Bowl game was played annually from 1986 to 2003. As many as four were played per year in the early 1990s. There was no American Bowl game played in 2004. The last American Bowl was held in 2005. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell cited the league's new international strategy in the abandonment of international pre-season games as well as the closure of NFL Europe, instead focusing on playing regular season games in foreign countries. There have been three international pre-season games during the American Bowl era that did not receive the American Bowl name because they were not arranged by the NFL but, rather, the scheduled home team elected to play there.

China Bowl

See main article: article and China Bowl (NFL). The China Bowl was the name of a proposed NFL pre-season exhibition game that had been scheduled to take place in August 2007, but later postponed to August 2009 so that more focus could be placed on the start of the International Series,[1] [2] and ultimately canceled, between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks at the National Stadium in Beijing.[3] The originally scheduled China Bowl was to be played at Workers Stadium in Beijing, China, on August 8, 2007. The game was to kick off the one-year countdown before the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and would have been the first NFL-sanctioned game to take place in China.[4]

In March 2019, the NFL reportedly discussed at owners' meetings whether it will play a game in China in the 2020 season. The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams were among the teams interested, due to their West Coast locations allowing for shorter travel. It would have taken place prior to the start of the regular season for the rest of the league in order to make up for the intense travel and time difference. Suitable venue and air quality were other concerns.[5]

Fútbol Americano

See main article: article and Fútbol Americano. On October 2, 2005, the Arizona Cardinals defeated the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 31–14 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, under the name NFL Fútbol Americano. It was the first regular season NFL game held outside the United States. The game drew the NFL's highest game attendance at the time with 103,467 spectators.[6] [7]

NFL International Series

See main article: article and NFL International Series. Beginning with the 2007 season, the National Football League has hosted regular season American football games outside the United States every year in a series known as the International Series. Wembley Stadium, in London, United Kingdom, was the first location to host the series, staging at least one game every year since the series began.

In October 2015 the league announced that a resolution had been passed approving continuing the International Series until 2025, and expanding it to include games in international cities outside the United Kingdom.[8] The NFL has an agreement to play at least two games per year at Wembley until 2020, with the Jacksonville Jaguars relocating a home game there annually throughout the agreement.[9] In addition, three to five games are scheduled to take place at England rugby's Twickenham Stadium between 2016 and 2018,[10] while at least two games per year are planned to be played at the new stadium at Northumberland Development Project between 2018 and 2027 as part of an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur.[11]

Additional markets under consideration included Mexico, Germany and Canada.[12] On February 5, 2016, it was announced that the Oakland Raiders would host the Houston Texans on November 21, 2016, at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico.[13] On November 19, 2017, the Estadio Azteca hosted a regular season Sunday afternoon game between the New England Patriots and the Oakland Raiders. On November 19, 2018, the Los Angeles Rams were the designated home team against the Kansas City Chiefs in Mexico, however the field conditions at Estadio Azteca did not meet NFL regulations so the game was moved to Los Angeles.

Bills Toronto Series

See main article: article and Bills Toronto Series. The Bills Toronto Series was an agreement between the Buffalo Bills and Rogers Communications to host a series of Bills NFL games at the Rogers Centre in nearby Toronto, Ontario, Canada in an attempt by the team to broaden its fan base. The Bills Toronto Series was distinct from the NFL International Series because it is arranged by an individual team rather than the league.

The series was conceived by a group that included then Bills owner Ralph Wilson, Ted Rogers of Rogers Communications and Larry Tanenbaum of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.[14] During the original five-year deal, which began with the 2008 season, the Bills played one regular season home game per year as well as a pre-season home game at Rogers Centre in 2008 and 2010, for a total of seven games in Toronto.[15] A pre-season game originally planned for 2012 was cancelled, as home games for the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Argonauts[16] and a Bruce Springsteen concert[17] conflicted with the NFL pre-season. In 2013, the series was renewed for five more years through 2017. The new deal featured one regular season game each year plus a pre-season game in 2015.[18] [19] However, following the first contest in 2013 it was announced that Rogers and the Bills had postponed the series for a year,[20] and several months later, following the sale of the Bills to new ownership, the parties reached an agreement to cancel the Toronto Series permanently.[21]

Impact on teams

Teams that have had the scheduling disadvantage of giving up a home game to participate in the series, resulting in seven home games, eight away games and one neutral site game, have seen a significant disparity in their success relative to the designated visitors, who end up with eight home games, seven away games and one neutral site game. For the 18 regular season games played outside the United States through 2015, 20 of the 21 designated home teams failed to reach the playoffs while 11 of the 21 designated visitors reached the postseason that year. In 2015, the Kansas City Chiefs became the first designated home team to go on to reach the playoffs. However, many teams accept the tradeoff of an increased opportunity for international marketing. [22]

List of games

Below is a list of games played outside the United States by teams from the NFL, and its precursor leagues the American Football League of 1926 (AFL 1926), All-America Football Conference (AAFC), and American Football League (AFL) from which the NFL absorbed teams.[23] [24] [25]

Legend
SeasonDateSeriesTypeWinning/Tied TeamScoreLosing/Tied TeamStadiumCityCountryRef
1926November 8–REGNew York Yankees (AFL 1926)28–0Los Angeles Wildcats (AFL 1926)Maple Leaf StadiumToronto[26]
August 19 CFL INT Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC) 27–1 Montreal Alouettes (CFL) [27] [28] [29]
August 12 CFL INT 27–6 Ottawa Rough Riders (CFL) [30]
August 11 CFL INT 41–18 Ottawa Rough Riders (CFL) [31]
August 5 CFL INT Toronto Argonauts (CFL)
August 3 CFL INT 43–16 Toronto Argonauts (CFL)
August 15 – EXH 16–7
August 29 – EXH Cancelled [32] [33] [34]
August 2 CFL INT 36–7 Toronto Argonauts (CFL)
August 5 CFL INT 34–16 Montreal Alouettes (CFL) [35]
August 8 CFL INT Hamilton Tiger-Cats (CFL) 38–21 Buffalo Bills (AFL)
August 11 – EXH Cancelled [36]
August 25 – INT 22–9 Boston Patriots (AFL) [37]
September 11 – EXH 17–13 [38]
August 16 MSB EXH 20–10 Tokyo [39] [40]
August 5 – EXH 14–7 [41]
August 6 GC EXH 28–10 London [42]
August 3 AB EXH 17–6 London
August 9 AB EXH 28–27 London
July 31 AB EXH 27–21 London
August 14 VAFC EXH 28–21 [43] [44]
August 18 MC EXH 11–7 [45] [46]
August 27 – EXH Cancelled [47]
August 6 AB EXH 16–13 (OT) Tokyo [48]
August 6 AB EXH 17–13 London
August 5 AB EXH 10–7 Tokyo [49]
August 5 AB EXH 17–10 London
August 9 AB EXH 30–14
August 11 AB EXH 19–3
July 28 AB EXH 17–13 London
August 3 AB EXH 21–7 Berlin
August 4 AB EXH 19–17 Tokyo
August 2 AB EXH 34–23 Tokyo
August 15 AB EXH 31–27 Berlin
August 16 AB EXH 17–15 London
August 1 AB EXH 28–16 Tokyo
August 1 AB EXH 21–14
August 7 AB EXH 20–6 Berlin
August 8 AB EXH 13–13 (OT) London
August 14 – EXH 12–9
July 31 AB EXH 25–22 (OT)
August 7 AB EXH 17–9 Tokyo
August 13 AB EXH 28–20 Berlin
August 15 AB EXH 6–0
August 6 AB EXH 24–10 Tokyo
August 12 AB EXH 9–7
July 28 AB EXH 20–10 Tokyo
August 5 AB EXH 32–6
July 27 AB EXH 30–17 [50]
August 4 AB EXH 38–19
August 16 AB EXH 35–3
August 2 AB EXH 27–24 (OT) Tokyo
August 15 AB EXH 24–21 BC Place Stadium
August 17 AB EXH 21–3
August 8 AB EXH 20–17
August 6 AB EXH 20–9 Tokyo
August 19 AB EXH 24–23
August 27 AB EXH 21–6
August 3 AB EXH 38–7
August 2 AB EXH 30–14 Tokyo
August 6 AB EXH 27–21 Tokyo
October 2 FA REG
August 8 CB EXH Cancelled
October 28 IS REG 13–10 London
August 14 BTS EXH 24–21 [51]
October 26 IS REG 37–32 London
December 7 BTS REG 16–3 [52]
October 25 IS REG 35–7 London
December 3 BTS REG 19–13 [53]
August 19 BTS EXH 34–21 [54]
October 31 IS REG 24–16 London
November 7 BTS REG 22–19 [55]
October 23 IS REG 24–18 London
October 30 BTS REG 23–0 [56]
October 28 IS REG 45–7 London
December 16 BTS REG 50–17 [57]
September 29 IS REG 34–27 London
October 27 IS REG 42–10 London [58]
December 1 BTS REG 34–31 (OT) [59]
September 28 IS REG 38–14 London
October 26 IS REG 22–21 London [60]
November 9 IS REG 31–17 London [61]
October 4 IS REG 27–14 London
October 25 IS REG 34–31 London
November 1 IS REG 45–10 London [62]
October 2 IS REG 30–27 London
October 23 IS REG 17–10 London
October 30 IS REG 27–27 (OT) London
November 21 IS REG 27–20
September 24 IS REG 44–7 London
October 1 IS REG 20–0 London
October 22 IS REG 33–0 London
October 29 IS REG 33–16 London
November 19 IS REG 33–8
October 14 IS REG 27–3 London
October 21 IS REG 20–19 London
October 28 IS REG 24–18 London
November 19 IS REG Relocated to LA Mexico City [63]
August 23 − EXH 22–21 Winnipeg[64]
October 6 IS REG Oakland Raiders24–21Chicago BearsLondon [65]
October 13 IS REG 37–26 London
October 27 IS REG 10–24London
November 3 IS REG 26–3London
November 18 IS REG 24–17 Mexico City
October 10 IS REG 27–20 Tottenham Hotspur StadiumLondon
October 17 IS REG 23–20 Tottenham Hotspur StadiumLondon
October 2 IS REG 28–25 Tottenham Hotspur StadiumLondon
October 9 IS REG 27–22 Tottenham Hotspur StadiumLondon
October 30 IS REG 21–17 Wembley StadiumLondon
November 13 IS REG 21–16 Allianz Arena
November 21 IS REG 38–10Mexico City
October 1 IS REG 23–7Wembley StadiumLondon
October 8 IS REG 25–20 Tottenham Hotspur StadiumLondon
October 15 IS REG 24–16 Tottenham Hotspur StadiumLondon
November 5 IS REG 21–14 Deutsche Bank Park
November 12 IS REG 10–6 Frankfurt
September 6 IS REG
October 6 IS REG Tottenham Hotspur StadiumLondon
October 13 IS REG Tottenham Hotspur StadiumLondon
October 20 IS REG Wembley StadiumLondon
November 10 IS REG Munich

Number of games by city

CityCountryNFLPredecessor leaguesTOT
REGEXHTOTINTTOTREGINTTOTTOT
0 2 20 20 0 0 2
0 5 5 0 5 0 0 0 5
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
2 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 2
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1
London 39 9 48 0 48 0 0 0 48
5 6 11 0 11 0 0 0 11
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
0 3 3 2 5 0 1 1 6
2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 2
1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
Tokyo 0 13 13 0 13 0 0 0 13
6 6 12 3 15 1 0 1 16
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
Notes

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: NFL International will focus on London in '07 . NFL.com . April 2, 2007 . April 2, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070406191344/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/10103814 . April 6, 2007.
  2. News: NFL cancels China Bowl to focus on London game . ESPN.com . April 2, 2007 . April 2, 2007.
  3. News: CHINA BOWL PUT BACK TO 2009 . SportingLife.com . April 3, 2007 . April 3, 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070930045708/http://www.sportinglife.com/nfl/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=international_feed%2F07%2F04%2F03%2FGRIDIRON_Chn-NFL.html . September 30, 2007 .
  4. News: NFL to hold preseason game in Beijing, China . NFL.com . September 24, 2006 . September 25, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070129120840/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9683120 . January 29, 2007.
  5. News: Beijing bound? Possibility of 49ers hosting 2020 game in China to be discussed by NFL owners. . March 25, 2019 . March 26, 2019.
  6. Associated Press. NFL commissioner says Super Bowl may someday be held in London ESPN.com, October 15, 2007.
  7. Associated Press. 3 AFC, 3 NFC teams named possible 'hosts' in Europe ESPN.com, January 8, 2007.
  8. Web site: NFL clubs expand commitment to playing international regular season games. NFL UK. National Football League. October 7, 2015.
  9. Web site: NFL extends agreement to play regular-season games at Wembley Stadium for an additional five years. NFLUK. National Football League. October 26, 2015. October 22, 2015.
  10. Web site: INTERNATIONAL SERIES GAMES TO ALSO BE PLAYED AT TWICKENHAM. NFLUK. National Football League. November 4, 2015. November 3, 2015.
  11. Web site: NFL & TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR CONFIRM AGREEMENT FOR NFL GAMES AT NEW STADIUM.. NFLUK. National Football League. November 4, 2015. July 8, 2015.
  12. Web site: NFL owners approve more international games, including games outside England. John. Kryk. Toronto Sun. October 7, 2015. October 8, 2015.
  13. Web site: Back to Mexico: Texans-Raiders to play Nov. 21 in Mexico City. .
  14. News: Bills owner won't commit to team's future in Buffalo . . . February 6, 2008 .
  15. Web site: NFL franchise in Toronto? CFL commish would appreciate partnership . . November 23, 2007 .
  16. Web site: Bills' pre-season game in Toronto moving back to Buffalo . . February 21, 2012 . October 21, 2013 . February 23, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120223170932/http://tsn.ca/nfl/story/?id=388432 . dead .
  17. Web site: Bills to host Seahawks in Toronto game. . April 17, 2012. September 19, 2012.
  18. Web site: Rogers Media, Buffalo Bills extend Toronto deal. January 29, 2013. August 22, 2013. Buffalo Bills. https://web.archive.org/web/20131021075541/http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-2/Rogers-Media-Buffalo-Bills-extend-Toronto-deal/012d6a99-d572-4c84-9d8a-c90680570b3b. October 21, 2013. dead.
  19. Web site: Associated Press. Rebuilding Bills will continue to play in Toronto. Yahoo! Sports. January 29, 2013. January 29, 2013. February 17, 2013. https://archive.today/20130217030320/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/rebuilding-bills-continue-play-toronto-205009804--nfl.html. dead.
  20. Web site: Buffalo Bills & Rogers Media postpone Toronto series for 2014. March 5, 2014. March 8, 2014. Buffalo Bills. https://web.archive.org/web/20140308160857/http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Buffalo-Bills--Rogers-Media-postpone-Toronto-series-for-2014/c2d3ef98-85d1-4e26-a485-7b2594f22c6c. March 8, 2014. dead.
  21. Web site: Bills and Rogers Communications agree to terminate Toronto series. December 3, 2014. December 3, 2014. Buffalo Bills. https://web.archive.org/web/20141209060605/http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Bills-and-Rogers-Communications-agree-to-terminate-Toronto-series/99855c5e-4373-4560-845a-0a31e6a9a18f. December 9, 2014. dead.
  22. Web site: Pro-Football-Reference.com – Pro Football Statistics and History. September 30, 2014.
  23. Web site: NFL International historical results. October 22, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20060822055107/http://www.nfl.com/international/story/6699961. August 22, 2006. National Football League.
  24. Web site: NFL games in Canada. September 30, 2013. October 22, 2013. National Football League.
  25. Web site: Quick facts: History of NFL games outside the United States. October 22, 2007. October 22, 2013. National Football League.
  26. News: Hewitt. W.A.. November 9, 1926. "Red" Grange's team scored 4 touchdowns. Toronto Daily Star.
  27. Web site: Dodgers swamp Montreal Alouettes, 27–1. August 20, 1948. October 20, 2013. Ottawa Citizen.
  28. Web site: Alouettes are beaten by Brooklyn pro Dodgers 27–1. August 20, 1948. October 20, 2013. Sabourin. Paul. The Montreal Gazette.
  29. Web site: Alouettes are stronger. August 21, 1948. October 20, 2013. Carroll. Dink. The Montreal Gazette.
  30. Web site: New York Giants score 27–6 triumph over Rough Riders. August 14, 1950. October 20, 2013. Ottawa Citizen.
  31. Web site: Powerful New York Giants defeat Rough Riders, 41–18. August 13, 1951. October 20, 2013. Kinsella. Jack. Ottawa Citizen.
  32. News: Toronto Game Stands: Cancel Montreal Tilt Between NFL Squads. May 3, 1960. The Globe and Mail.
  33. News: Football Giants shift exhibition. May 3, 1960. New York Times.
  34. News: Football Giants hit on Canadian games. April 21, 1960. New York Times.
  35. Web site: Bears beat Montreal Alouettes in 1961 exhibition game. January 24, 2013. October 20, 2013. Mayer. Larry. Chicago Bears.
  36. Web site: Mexican Brass Cancels Lions-Eagles TV Game. August 9, 1968. October 20, 2013. St. Joseph Gazette.
  37. Web site: MONTREAL IS COOL TO U.S. FOOTBALL. August 25, 1969. October 20, 2013. Wallace. William. New York Times.
  38. Web site: U.S. pro grid crosses lin. August 23, 1969. October 20, 2013. Leader-Post.
  39. Web site: Ah, so! It's football . August 17, 1976. October 20, 2013. St. Petersburg Times.
  40. Web site: Japan to get second look at American pro football. Rothman. Seymour. July 29, 1989. October 20, 2013. Toledo Blade.
  41. Web site: Mexico's long love affair with football, American-style. October 1, 2008. October 20, 2013. Viruega. Pablo. ESPN.
  42. Web site: Football in the UK: Hall of Famers at Wembley. September 26, 2012. October 20, 2013. Pro Football Hall of Fame. Reynolds. Neil.
  43. Web site: NFL Exhibition Roundup : Sweden Gets a Taste of Football as Vikings Beat Bears, 28–21. August 15, 1988. October 22, 2013. Los Angeles Times.
  44. Web site: Bears, Vikings meet in Sweden. August 10, 1988. July 21, 2015. The Hour.
  45. Web site: N.F.L.; Quebec Welcomes a Taste of the N.F.L.. July 29, 1988. October 22, 2013. New York Times. Eskenazi. Gerald.
  46. Web site: Oh, Canada: Jets vs. Bills. December 3, 2009. October 22, 2013. New York Daily News. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131029092250/http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2009/12/oh-canada-jets-vs-bills.html. October 29, 2013.
  47. Web site: Rozelle vetoes NFL game in Toronto. October 31, 1987. Toronto Star.
  48. Web site: Past Schedule Sports. October 23, 2013. Tokyo Dome City.
  49. Web site: National Football League Game Summary. August 5, 1990. October 23, 2013. Denver Broncos.
  50. News: STEWART FINE FOR STARTERS . The Washington Post . March 22, 2023.
  51. Web site: PRESEASON WEEK 3, 2008 – Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bills. . April 23, 2011.
  52. Web site: WEEK 14, 2008 – Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills. . April 22, 2011.
  53. Web site: WEEK 13, 2009 – New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills. . April 22, 2011.
  54. Web site: PRESEASON WEEK 2, 2010 – Indianapolis Colts @ Buffalo Bills. . April 23, 2011.
  55. Web site: WEEK 9, 2010 – Chicago Bears @ Buffalo Bills. . April 22, 2011.
  56. Web site: WEEK 8, 2011. . December 20, 2012.
  57. Web site: WEEK 15, 2012 – BILLS IN TORONTO SERIES. . December 20, 2012.
  58. Web site: International Series Game 8. October 27, 2013. October 27, 2013. National Football League.
  59. Web site: WEEK 13, 2013 – BILLS IN TORONTO SERIES. December 1, 2013. December 1, 2013. National Football League.
  60. Web site: International Series Game 10 – National Football League Game Summary. October 26, 2014. October 26, 2014. National Football League.
  61. Web site: International Series Game 11. November 9, 2014. November 10, 2014. National Football League.
  62. Web site: Chiefs rout Lions thanks to ground game dominance. November 1, 2015. November 2, 2015. National Football League.
  63. Web site: Chiefs-Rams Game To Move From Mexico City to Los Angeles Due to Field Conditions. November 13, 2018. November 13, 2018. National Football League.
  64. Web site: Raiders beat Packers in Winnipeg on reconfigured 80-yard field. Canadian Press. Sportsnet. August 23, 2019. August 23, 2019.
  65. Web site: Bears vs. Raiders in London score: Josh Jacobs derails Chicago's comeback efforts and more takeaways. CBSSports.com. en. October 8, 2019.

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