Roger Goodell says Japan is on NFL’s global wish list
The commissioner told Sportico he has about 10 countries in mind as the league expands its international regular-season schedule.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Japan is back on the NFL’s travel board, this time with regular-season stakes.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told Sportico at Fanatics Fest that the league is looking beyond its current overseas stops and has a long list of possible markets. Asked which international market he wanted the NFL to reach, Goodell said, “Not one, I got about 10,” according to CBS Sports.
Goodell pointed specifically to Japan, where the NFL has already staged preseason games. He told Sportico the league previously played in Tokyo, but said the aim now is to bring a regular-season game there.
That would be a first for Japan. CBS Sports reported that the NFL has played in the country before, including games in Tokyo and Osaka, but those were preseason exhibitions rather than games that counted in the standings.
The NFL has been to Japan before
The league’s earlier trips came through the American Bowl, a preseason series that sent NFL teams abroad in late July or early August. CBS Sports reported that those games were held in multiple international venues, including West Berlin in 1990 and Sydney in 1999.
Japan was a familiar stop during that era. According to CBS Sports, the NFL played at the Tokyo Dome 12 times from 1989 to 2005.
A regular-season game in Japan would fit a much bigger push. CBS Sports reported that the league plans to play 10 international games in 2027. For the 2026 season, the NFL has nine international games set across seven countries and four continents.
The 2026 international slate
The 2026 schedule includes the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia, according to CBS Sports. The international matchups are:
- Week 1: Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.
- Week 3: Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Week 4: Washington Commanders vs. Indianapolis Colts in London, England.
- Week 5: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans in London, England.
- Week 6: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Philadelphia Eagles in London, England.
- Week 7: New Orleans Saints vs. Pittsburgh Steelers in Paris, France.
- Week 9: Atlanta Falcons vs. Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain.
- Week 10: Detroit Lions vs. New England Patriots in Munich, Germany.
- Week 11: San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings in Mexico City, Mexico.
San Francisco gets the busiest passport stamp of the bunch. CBS Sports reported that the 49ers will set an NFL record for miles traveled in the season and will become the first franchise to play multiple international games in non-consecutive weeks.
The 49ers open overseas in Australia in Week 1, then head to Mexico City in Week 11. CBS Sports noted that San Francisco is 3-0 abroad since the International Series began in 2007, the most overseas wins without a loss by any team in that span.
Goodell has said he wants at least 16 international games per season, according to CBS Sports, with every team getting the chance to play in a special location. For now, the league’s room is capped: the current collective bargaining agreement allows up to 10 international games per year and runs through the 2030 season.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.