Goodell signals Tokyo as next stop in NFL's global expansion

The NFL is planning to add Tokyo to its roster of regular-season locations, Commissioner Roger Goodell told the "NFL Daily" podcast on Friday. He said the Japanese capital is "clearly on our list, whether it’s next year or the year after" and will be pursued in the near future. Goodell highlighted the league’s recent European leg of the 2026 world tour, which included a historic game in Paris, and noted that the league is also targeting other priority markets while experimenting with new cities, such as Rio de Janeiro earlier this season.

Goodell pointed to the Week 1 matchup in Melbourne, where the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Los Angeles Rams, as evidence that the league can manage time-zone challenges without harming teams. "We’re planning on playing global. That’s where we’re going," he said.

NFL vice president of club business, international and league events Peter O’Reilly has indicated the league is considering ten international games in 2027. This season, a record nine games are being played outside the United States, including three in London and one each in Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Madrid, Munich and Mexico City.

Tokyo would host its first regular-season game, though the NFL has previously staged 14 exhibition contests there between 1976 and 2005, the most recent being a preseason game between the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts in August 2005. The Los Angeles Rams currently hold the NFL’s marketing rights in Japan under the Global Markets Program.

Goodell also praised the upcoming Saints-Steelers game at Stade de France, describing the matchup as a good fit for the French audience. He emphasized the league’s broader international push, which includes expanding flag-football programs and forging media partnerships to reach fans worldwide.