NFL Commissioner Says Tokyo Regular-Season Game Expected by 2028
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league plans to hold its first regular-season game in Tokyo sometime in 2027 or 2028, citing recent international successes as proof the league can expand globally.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters on the league’s "NFL Daily" program that a regular-season game in Tokyo is slated for 2027 or 2028. He said the city is "clearly on our list, whether it’s next year or the year after" and that the league will continue to target priority markets while exploring new locations.
Goodell pointed to the successful Week 1 game in Australia as evidence that the NFL can stage events worldwide without harming team schedules. "On a Friday morning at 10:30, to have 100,000 people in the stadium, it was just an incredible feeling for us," he said, adding that the experience opened new opportunities for the league.
The commissioner noted that the NFL’s domestic popularity drives its strategy to grow in foreign markets, with Tokyo positioned as the next potential venue after recent ventures such as the game in Rio de Janeiro.