The National Football League will hold a regular season game in Brazil in 2024 – the first ever in South America – as the league continues to prioritize global growth as a key strategic priority.
The historic first game in Brazil will take place in São Paulo, at Arena Corinthians, home of the Brazilian football team Sport Club Corinthians. The stadium was the official host of both the FIFA World Cup 2014 and the 2016 Summer Olympics. With the game in South America, the NFL will have played a game (preseason or regular season) on five of the seven continents in the world.
The announcement was made by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the League Meeting in December 2023 in Dallas.
“Taking the NFL to new continents, countries, and cities around the world is a critical element of our plan to continue growing the sport globally,” Goodell said. “Brazil has established itself as a key market for the NFL, and we are excited to play 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 held in London: two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the third being a home game for the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium as part of their partnership. The fifth game will take the NFL back to Germany for the third consecutive year, returning to Allianz Arena in Munich.
Brazil is a significant global market for the NFL, with over 38 million fans of the sport (8.3 million of them being ‘avid’ fans) — the second-largest international fan base after Mexico.
Ricardo Nunes, 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, solidifying São Paulo and Brazil at the center of the global sports stage,” Nunes said. “With our hard work, we will now be able to host the NFL in our city, staging this historic game that will have a positive impact on tourism, jobs, and the city’s economy.”
“São Paulo positions itself as one of the leading 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 vote of confidence that will further strengthen São Paulo’s image as a location for major global events, and we look forward to hosting a successful NFL International Game in 2024.”
The teams designated for the NFL International Games in 2024 will be announced in early 2024, and details about game dates, matchups, and kickoff times will be confirmed when the complete 2024 schedule is released.
The NFL Flag program was launched in Brazil in 2023 in partnership with the Brazilian Confederation of American Football (CBFA) to grow flag football at both the grassroots and elite levels, following the announcement of flag football’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.