Football is heading to South America. Earlier this week, the NFL announced plans to play its first match in South America. The game will be played in Brazil, and follows various NFL matches hosted in European countries. It’s big news for a sport that’s largely American focused.
The news were reported by the Associated Press, which revealed that the South American match will take place in 2024 and is a part of the NFL’s expanding international plan. The game will be played at the Arena Corinthians in Sao Paolo, which has previously hosted the Olympics and the World Cup. The stadium has a capacity for around 50,000 people.
Earlier this year, the NFL played games in Frankfurt, Germany and London, England. In 2024, the NFL plans to return to these locations for more games, with three of them being hosted in London.
Brazil was chosed over Madrid, with the NFL itching to reach South American audiences
The NFL shared the news and revealed that they were considering Madrid as well, but opted for Brazil in order to introduce a new continent to the equation. “The good news is both are really viable and interested in hosting games,” said Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president of club business, international and league events.
“Pending having the opportunity to play in Madrid and Brazil in the future, we would be excited to do that. The reason we went first with Brazil really ties to going to a new continent for the first time, into South America for the first time for the regular season.”