(LONDON) The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play their first NFL game in Germany this season, while the Green Bay Packers will be entitled to their first trip to Europe.
Posted at 7:23 p.m.
The NFL announced Monday that the Bucs will host the season opener in Munich, Germany. The identity of their opponent and the date of the event, however, remain unknown for the moment.
“This historic game will play a crucial role in the NFL’s efforts to increase its international profile in addition to directly reaching our fans in Germany,” Buccaneers co-president and owner Joel Glazer said in a press release.
The Packers and New Orleans Saints will in turn host two games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, while the Jacksonville Jaguars will host a duel at Wembley Stadium. The Jaguars are regulars in London, having played in the British capital every season since 2013, with the exception of 2020 when international events were suspended due to the pandemic.
The Arizona Cardinals will host a game at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
The Packers are the only NFL team to have never played a game in London since their journeys began in 2007. With the regular season extended to 17 games, providing an additional home game for each team National, the Packers will finally have the opportunity to play internationally.
“I myself have spoken for years with people in London and Europe. We have so many fans in Europe and around the world that I find it very exciting for them to have the chance to see the Packers in action in London, said Packers chairman Mark Murphy. I know our fans in the United States, and of course in Green Bay, will be very excited to travel to see the Packers in London. »
The latter nevertheless stressed that the loss of a local game would have an impact on the local economy of Green Bay. To compensate for these losses, the organization is committed to organizing as many major events as possible over the next few years. The possibility of hosting the NFL draft in 2024 has been mentioned in particular.
Three cities would be in the running to host the 2024 draft, according to Murphy: Green Bay, Detroit and Washington, DC.
The NFL’s moves to court the German market include additional games in Munich and Frankfurt over the next four seasons.
