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By Michael Gallagher
Sports Content Coordinator
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Part of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s plan for the growth of the league is expanding its global footprint.
Under Goodell’s leadership, the league has played games in Brazil, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
This season alone, the NFL will play regular-season games in Melbourne, Australia; Paris, France; Madrid, Spain; London, England; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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And while football fans overseas are thrilled with the NFL’s initiative to bring games to more international audiences, others aren’t happy that the league is taking games away from American fans.
Ex-Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is among that group, and during a recent episode of Barstool Sports’ “The Gruden Family Football Show,” the former Super Bowl champion sounded off with disgust over Goodell and the NFL’s obsession over increasing the amount of international games every year.
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“I didn’t see Red Grange playing in Australia, and I never saw Ray Nitschke play in London,” Gruden shouted in response to a caller demanding he embrace the NFL’s growing presence internationally.
“So take that and stick that in your pipe. If you want to grow the game, grow it in the United States. We got a lot of kids that aren’t playing football, so let’s play games where we need to grow the game in our country. Let’s start and end with that.”
The NFL will play nine international games in 2026. The full international schedule is listed below.
- Week 1: San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams, Melbourne, Australia
- Week 3: Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Week 4: Indianapolis Colts vs. Washington Commanders, London, UK
- Week 5: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, London, UK
- Week 6: Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, London, UK
- Week 7: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New Orleans Saints, Paris, France
- Week 9: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta Falcons, Madrid, Spain
- Week 10: New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions, Munich, Germany
- Week 11: Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers, Mexico City, Mexico
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