The NFL Worldwide Sequence has grow to be an everyday a part of the NFL calendar. It’s a wealthy historical past courting again almost 20 years now. Let’s check out when the NFL began enjoying regular-season video games internationally, the place these video games have been performed, and the historical past of the NFL Worldwide Sequence video games.
When Did the NFL Begin Enjoying Internationally?
Worldwide NFL video games have an extended historical past, courting again effectively earlier than the beginning of the NFL Worldwide Sequence. Nonetheless, previous to 2007, the video games had been a part of the preseason. Essentially the most notable of those was the sequence referred to as the “American Bowl,” which started in 1986. The earliest recorded soccer recreation performed on international soil was in 1950.
Between 1950 and 1983, 13 video games involving NFL or AFL groups had been performed exterior the USA. Groups performed seven of these video games towards CFL golf equipment in Canada. One other three video games had been performed in Canada (one in Toronto, two in Montreal). The ultimate three video games had been performed in Tokyo (1976), Mexico Metropolis (1978), and London (1983).
The Historical past of the American Bowl
The primary recreation to be thought of a part of the American Bowl was held in 1986 at Wembley Stadium. The Chicago Bears defeated the Dallas Cowboys 17-6 within the first of eight video games performed in London — all at Wembley.
In 1989, the American Bowl went again to Tokyo, the place it could go to a complete of 12 instances, with one recreation in Osaka in 2002. Canada would host 4 American Bowl video games (one every in Montreal and Vancouver, two in Toronto). There have been additionally six video games held in Mexico, 5 in Germany, two in Spain, and one every in Australia and Eire.
The ultimate American Bowl occurred in 2005. At that time, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke of a brand new worldwide technique that the league would undertake. This is able to finish preseason video games being performed internationally and as a substitute give attention to regular-season matchups. That was the start of the NFL Worldwide Sequence.
Germany Joined the Fray in 2022
The 2022 NFL season noticed the primary Worldwide Sequence recreation performed in Germany. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted the Seattle Seahawks, the place Tom Brady bested Geno Smith 21-16. In accordance with the NFL, 69,811 followers attended the sold-out recreation stay within the Allianz Area, residence to Bundesliga facet FC Bayern Munich.
Moreover, the sport was NFL Community’s most-watched worldwide recreation on report in the USA with greater than 5.8 million viewers.
In 2023, the NFL introduced that they’d be including one other recreation to their Germany schedule, with two on faucet to be performed that season. The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and New England Patriots will make their debuts in Germany as the house group for his or her worldwide tilts.
NFL Worldwide Sequence Sport Historical past
For the reason that inception of the NFL Worldwide Sequence in 2007, 28 video games went down in London and three in Mexico Metropolis. For the primary six seasons, Wembley hosted one recreation a yr. In 2013, this grew to 2 video games after which three in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
It was in 2016 that the NFL expanded the Worldwide Sequence to Mexico Metropolis. The league performed one recreation in Mexico Metropolis in 2016, 2017, and 2019. There was additionally as a consequence of be a recreation performed in 2018 between the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams, however the NFL moved it again to LA as a consequence of poor discipline circumstances.
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The NFL went to 4 video games in London in 2017, using Twickenham Stadium (which they’d additionally utilized in 2016) to host two of the 4 video games. The NFL would return to only three video games in 2018. But, the introduction of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019 would see the NFL return to 4. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic meant no worldwide video games in 2020.
With uncertainty across the 2021 season, the NFL deliberate simply two Worldwide Sequence video games for the primary time since 2013. That quantity elevated again to 5 Worldwide Sequence video games in 2022 and 2023.
The brand new NFL worldwide schedule units out the method for at least 4 video games per yr. Groups are then in a position to volunteer to surrender further residence video games in different years. The Jaguars did precisely that within the 2022 season and seem dedicated to yearly enjoying one recreation in London.
Historical past of NFL Worldwide Sequence Video games
Video games performed at Wembley Stadium except in any other case said.
2007
New York Giants 13, Miami Dolphins 10
2008
San Diego Chargers 32, New Orleans Saints 37
2009
New England Patriots 35, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7
2010
Denver Broncos 16, San Francisco 49ers 24
2011
Chicago Bears 24, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 18
2012
New England Patriots 45, St. Louis Rams 7
2013:
Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Minnesota Vikings 34
San Francisco 49ers 42, Jacksonville Jaguars 10
2014:
Miami Dolphins 38, Oakland Raiders 12
Detroit Lions 22, Atlanta Falcons 21
Dallas Cowboys 31, Jacksonville Jaguars 17
2015:
New York Jets 27, Miami Dolphins 14
Buffalo Payments 31, Jacksonville Jaguars 34
Detroit Lions 10, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs 45
2016:
Indianapolis Colts 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 30
New York Giants 17, Los Angles Rams 10 | Twickenham Stadium
Washington Soccer Workforce 27, Cincinnati Bengals 27
Houston Texans 20, Oakland Raiders 27 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico Metropolis
2017:
Baltimore Ravens 7, Jacksonville Jaguars 44
New Orleans Saints 20, Miami Dolphins 0
Arizona Cardinals 0, Los Angeles Rams 33 | Twickenham Stadium
Minnesota Vikings 33, Cleveland Browns 16 | Twickenham Stadium
New England Patriots 33, Oakland Raiders 8 | Estadio Azteca
2018:
Seattle Seahawks 27, Oakland Raiders 3
Tennessee Titans 19, Los Angeles Chargers 20
Philadelphia Eagles 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 18
2019:
Chicago Bears 21, Oakland Raiders 24 | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Carolina Panthers 37, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26 | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Cincinnati Bengals 10, Los Angeles Rams 24
Houston Texans 26, Jacksonville Jaguars 3
Kansas Metropolis Chiefs 24, Los Angeles Chargers 17 | Estadio Azteca
2021
New York Jets 20, Atlanta Falcons 27 | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Miami Dolphins 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 23 | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
2022
Minnesota Vikings 28, New Orleans Saints 25 | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
New York Giants 27, Inexperienced Bay Packers 22 | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Denver Broncos 21, Jacksonville Jaguars 17
San Francisco 49ers 38, Arizona Cardinals 10 | Estadio Azteca
Seattle Seahawks 16, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21 | Allianz Area
