The National Football League will play a regular season game in Brazil in 2024 – the first ever in South America – as the league continues to emphasize global growth as a major strategic priority.
The historic first game in Brazil will take place in the city of São Paulo at the Corinthians Arena, home to Brazilian soccer team the Sport Club Corinthians. The stadium was an official venue for both the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games. With the game in South America, the NFL will have played a game (preseason or regular season) in five of the seven continents around the world.
The announcement was made by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the 2023 December League Meeting in Dallas.
“Bringing the NFL to new continents, countries and cities around the world is a critical element of our plan to continue to grow the game globally,” said Goodell. “Brazil has established itself as a key market for the NFL, and we are excited to be playing in Brazil and São Paulo for the first time in 2024. We look forward to working with the city of São Paulo and SC Corinthians to deliver a world-class game day experience for this passionate and growing fan base.”
The game in São Paulo will be one of five regular season games to be played internationally in 2024. Three games will be played in London: two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the third a Jacksonville Jaguars home game at Wembley Stadium as part of their partnership. The fifth game will see the NFL back in Germany for a third consecutive year, returning to Allianz Arena in Munich.
Brazil is an important global market for the NFL, with more than 38 million fans of the game (8.3 million of those being ‘avid’ fans) — the second largest international fan base after Mexico.
Ricardo Nunes, the mayor of São Paulo, joined Commissioner Goodell in Dallas for the announcement.
“The National Football League’s decision to bring a regular season game to São Paulo is significant and exciting for the city, consolidating São Paulo and Brazil at the center of the global sporting stage,” said Nunes. “Through our hard work, we will now be able to welcome the NFL to our city, hosting this historic game that will have a positive impact on tourism, employment and the city’s economy.”
“São Paulo positions itself as one of the major centers for some of the biggest events in the world,” added Gustavo Pires, president of São Paulo Turismo. “The NFL’s decision to play in Brazil is a statement of confidence that will contribute to further strengthening São Paulo’s image as a location for major global events and we look forward to hosting a successful NFL International Game in 2024.”
Designated teams for the 2024 NFL International Games will be announced in early 2024 and details regarding the dates of games, matchups and kickoff times will be confirmed when the full 2024 schedule is announced.
NFL Flag programming was launched in Brazil in 2023 in partnership with the Brazilian American Football Confederation (CBFA) to grow flag football at the grassroots and elite level, following the announcement of flag football’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.