The NFL announced Wednesday that Germany will host an NFL regular-season game for the first time in 2025 at the Olympic Stadium in the city of Berlin. The game is part of a multiyear commitment for the NFL to hold events in Germany’s capital city, with participating teams, dates and ticket information to be announced at a later date.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated in a press release: “Germany has a rich tradition of American football, and the NFL has a deep history with the city of Berlin. We first held a preseason game at the Olympic Stadium 34 years ago, before it was home to NFL Europe’s Berlin Thunder in the early 2000s. Now, with almost 20 million NFL fans in Germany, we’ll make a historic return to the city playing a regular season game for the first time as we open the next chapter in our relationship with Berlin.”
Iris Spranger, Senator for the Interior and Sports for the State of Berlin, said in a statement: “This long-term partnership with the NFL will continue to boost Berlin as a global sports metropolis, as well as excite fans at the Olympic Stadium. The 2025 NFL Berlin game means worldwide visibility, numerous international guests, increased tourism and high economic value across the city.”
Starting in 2025, the league can schedule up to eight international regular-season games per season; two regular-season games in London and another in Madrid already were announced for that season. Previously, the NFL has held regular-season games in Munich and Frankfurt since 2022, and they also have plans to work with the Berlin Senate within its sports development program in schools and clubs to help develop and grow flag football — which will be included at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
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