NFL commissioner says league will eventually add a non-U.S. franchise

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expressed strong confidence that the league will eventually have a franchise permanently based outside the United States, marking a significant evolution in the league's long-term international strategy. In an interview with former NFL player Markus Kuhn for the German broadcaster RTLntv, Goodell stated, "At some point, there will be NFL teams outside the USA. I have no doubt that this will happen one day."

Goodell's comments, published on August 18, 2026, represent his most definitive statement to date on the prospect of an international franchise. Previously, he had been more cautious, saying in 2023 that he "didn't know what the future was going to be" and in 2025 that there was "potential" for such a move. The commissioner linked the potential for an international Super Bowl directly to the establishment of a permanent overseas team. "There are definitely international cities that could host something like that," Goodell said. "But we would like to see an NFL team in such a city first."

The NFL has been steadily building its international presence through regular-season games played abroad. The league's first such game outside the U.S. was held...