NFL takes next step towards international games in Germany, will announce 3 finalist cities next week

The NFL has taken the following step towards having a global sport in Germany, because the league will announce three finalist cities in Germany to stage a sport for 2022, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The league checked out proposal cities for a global sport in Germany earlier this year, seeking to increase its portfolio of worldwide video games within the coming years. 

Whereas the NFL views Germany as a chance to increase the worldwide collection, the league continues to be dedicated in direction of enjoying video games in London and Mexico Metropolis. Starting subsequent season, the league will play a minimal of 4 worldwide video games every year as all 32 groups will play a minimum of one worldwide sport as soon as each eight years with the brand new 17-game format in place. The league has but to host common season video games on continental Europe.

Berlin is Germany’s largest metropolis in inhabitants, adopted by Hamburg, then Munich. The NFL has performed 5 video games in Germany — all on the Olympiastadion in Berlin — when the league hosted the preseason “American Bowl” from 1986 to 2005. The NFL went to Germany for 5 consecutive video games from 1990 to 1994 and hasn’t returned since, though the league’s involvement in Germany performed an important function in NFL Europe. 

Germany had NFL Europe franchises in Cologne, Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Düsseldorf up till the league folded in 2007. Eight stadiums in Germany hosted video games throughout NFL Europe’s existence, seven of which nonetheless host occasions. Munich and Berlin are the 2 favorites to host NFL games, per a memo obtained by Sports Illustrated earlier this yr. 

The NFL’s tentative plan for 2022 is to place two video games in London, one sport in Mexico Metropolis and one sport in Germany. This yr, the league returns to the worldwide slate after COVID-19 compelled the cancellation of abroad video games in 2020. This yr’s video games will happen at Tottenham Soccer Membership’s stadium in London because the New York Jets face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday and the Jacksonville Jaguars face the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 17.