A handful of football stadiums around the world will get the chance to host the other football in 2022.
The NFL is going international with some of its games in 2022, exporting the gridiron to three different countries. England, Germany and Mexico will be the destination for five NFL games.
Five teams were already revealed as the home teams: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, and Jacksonville Jaguars will be in action.
Here’s the full list of NFL events that will be hosted overseas:
| Country | Stadium (City) | Home Team |
| England | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London) | Green Bay Packers |
| England | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London) | New Orleans Saints |
| England | Wembley Stadium (London) | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Germany | Allianz Arena (Munich) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Mexico | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City) | Arizona Cardinals |
The opposing teams, as well as kickoff times and dates, will be published together with the full 2022 schedule later in the year.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium NFL games
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, referred to by some as New White Hart Lane, is the only stadium outside of North America to be constructed with hosting NFL games in mind.
New White Hart Lane joined Wembley and Twickenham as hosts of NFL games in the U.K., beginning with the first year it opened in 2019.
The stadium played host to 60,463 spectators in October 2019, as the Oakland Raiders beat the Chicago Bears 24-21. A week later, the stadium saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face the Carolina Panthers.
The 2020 series of games were cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic, but 2021 saw two more games take place in London, both hosted at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The New York Jets fell 27-20 to the Atlanta Falcons and then the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Miami Dolphins, 23-20, in the second game.
Hosting NFL games is a core part of the plans that Tottenham have for their stadium, and it’s no surprise to see the NFL coming back to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
A report recently surfaced that Tottenham Hotspur are planning to bid for the opportunity to host the 2026 Super Bowl, aiming to be the first international host of the marquee event.
Bayern Munich hosting NFL games at Allianz Arena
The NFL will be returning to Germany, as the Allianz Arena plays host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Germany has a history with NFL, having been one of the main hubs for NFL Europe before the NFL International Series took off. While a European NFL league never truly took root, five of the nine NFL Europe teams were based in Germany.
The Berlin Thunder, Cologne Centurions, Frankfurt Galaxy, Hamburg Sea Devils, and the Rhein Fire, based in Dusseldorf, were five of the most successful teams in the league with a German club winning 10 of 15 World Bowl titles. The Frankfurt Galaxy won the championship on a league-high four occasions.
With NFL Europe so heavily dominated by German teams, it’s easy to see why the league retains a strong following in Germany. The country is a natural fit as the NFL branches out to new audiences, with large stadia and a solid sporting infrastructure already in place.
Why is the NFL playing in Europe?
Since regular season NFL games were first hosted in Europe beginning in 2007, a total of 31 teams have played in London.
The Packers will be the 32nd NFL team to play overseas when they make the trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2022. The Jacksonville Jaguars will be making their ninth all-time trip to London.
Given there are only a couple of NFL games brought over to Europe every year, they have become major events on the sports calendar with celebrities and athletes making it a point to take in the NFL experience.
But the NFL has a history in Europe that goes beyond the NFL International Series, which was preceded by an actual league, NFL Europe (1991-2007), as the league sought to cultivate interest in the sport outside the U.S.
Some believe that the region is ready to have its own team, and London continues to be rumored as a potential candidate for a future expansion team or as a home for a relocated franchise.