The NFL has confirmed that Dublin will not host a regular-season game during the 2026 season, but commissioner Roger Goodell has reiterated that Ireland remains firmly part of the league’s long-term international plans following the success of its first game in the country in 2025.
Speaking after the NFL finalised its international schedule for 2026, Goodell said the league would return to Ireland in the future, despite Dublin’s absence from next season’s rotation.
He pointed to the scale and impact of last year’s historic game at Croke Park as clear evidence of Ireland’s potential as a host market.
The 2025 contest — the first regular-season NFL game ever staged in Ireland — drew a capacity crowd of more than 74,000 for the meeting of the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the largest attendances for an international game in league history. Tens of thousands of fans travelled from the United States, while supporters from across Europe also descended on Dublin for the weekend.
Goodell said the event underlined how far the NFL’s international programme has evolved. Rather than persuading teams to play abroad, he noted that clubs are now actively seeking opportunities to take part in overseas games as the league expands its global footprint. He described the Dublin fixture as a standout example of that growth, citing the atmosphere, organisation and audience mix as markers of success.
Beyond the stadium, the game generated significant activity across the city, with a packed programme of fan events, partner activations and NFL-branded experiences running throughout the week. Dublin’s ability to absorb the influx of travelling supporters and create a festival-style environment around the game was viewed internally by the league as a major positive.
Broadcast figures and global engagement also exceeded expectations, reinforcing the league’s belief that Ireland can support future NFL games even if it is not included in every season’s international slate. The decision to omit Dublin from 2026 reflects scheduling and logistical considerations rather than any reassessment of the market.
The NFL will stage an expanded series of international games in 2026 across established and emerging host cities, as it continues to rotate fixtures between Europe and beyond. Goodell said that approach allows the league to grow in multiple territories while maintaining flexibility around venues and timing.
The Host Cities for next season will be London (3 games), Munich, Madrid, Paris, Melbourne and Rio.
Ireland’s appeal to the NFL is rooted less in raw market size and more in strategic fit — a key distinction when compared with other countries currently hosting or targeted for regular-season games.
With a population of six million, Ireland is significantly smaller than most of the NFL’s established and emerging international markets.
In Britain, the league’s longest-standing overseas base, there is a population of more than 67 million and the benefit of decades of investment, multiple annual games and a deep broadcast footprint. London alone can sustain several fixtures per season across different venues.
Germany, which has rapidly become one of the NFL’s strongest European markets, has a population of 84 million and boasts one of the league’s largest international fan bases, supported by strong free-to-air television numbers and sell-out crowds in Munich and Frankfurt.
France and Spain both offer substantially larger populations — 65 million and 48 million respectively — alongside major capital cities and stadium infrastructure capable of hosting high-profile international events. Paris and Madrid also provide access to new commercial partners and broadcast growth in southern Europe.
Outside Europe, the scale difference becomes even more pronounced. Brazil, with a population exceeding 200 million, represents one of the NFL’s fastest-growing fan markets globally, particularly among younger audiences. Australia, at around 26 million people, offers a strong English-speaking market, favourable broadcast conditions back to the US and an established appetite for American sports.
By contrast, Ireland’s strength lies in intensity rather than volume. While its domestic fan base is smaller, engagement levels are high, international travel links are strong, and Dublin has proven its ability to attract significant numbers of visiting supporters from the United States and across Europe. The success of the 2025 game demonstrated that Ireland can deliver a major event experience even if it cannot host games annually.
For the NFL, Ireland will probably function as a rotation market rather than a permanent hub, a destination that adds variety, atmosphere and cultural resonance to the international schedule, while larger countries carry the bulk of games year to year.
That balance helps explain why Dublin may not appear every season, but remains firmly on the league’s long-term map.
Image Credit: NFL UK and Ireland
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