Will the NFL put a team in London? Benefits, obstacles to overseas football Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAYOctober 19, 2025 at 3:01 AM 0 Will the NFL put a team in London? Benefits, obstacles to overseas football The NFL is going international once again in Week 7.
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Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAYOctober 19, 2025 at 3:01 AM
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Will the NFL put a team in London? Benefits, obstacles to overseas football
The NFL is going international once again in Week 7.
For the third week in a row, two NFL teams are facing off in London: the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars. The two 4-2 squads face off at Wembley Stadium in London.
It's not a surprise to see Jacksonville involved in a game overseas. That franchise has played more games outside of the U.S. - 13 - than any other team in NFL history despite not playing on international soil until 2013.
Jacksonville's played at least one game in the United Kingdom every year since 2013, including two in 2023 and 2024. For context, the Jaguars' 13 international games nearly equals the team's total primetime games since 2013 (15).
The Jaguars' London timeshare in Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur Stadiums have many wondering: will the NFL put a team in London?
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's goal of putting an NFL team in London has been known as far back as 2015. That could come via expansion or relocation to one of the biggest cities in the world.
Here is a breakdown of why an NFL team in London makes sense for the league - and the current obstacles standing in the way.
Why the NFL could put a team in London
The NFL made its London debut in 2007 when the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins 13-10 at Wembley Stadium. Since then, the city's been the primary location for international games thanks to the infrastructure for NFL contests.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium opened in 2019 and was designed to host both Premier League and NFL football games. It has retractable grass and artificial turf fields that make it straightforward to switch between the two types of football. Wembley Stadium is also a candidate, as it has the size to accommodate NFL teams in its locker rooms.
If the NFL wants to relocate a current team, the Jaguars are a popular choice to move. They've played yearly games across the Atlantic Ocean for more than a decade. Their owner, Shahid Khan, is based in London and owns the Premier League soccer club Fulham F.C. in the city.
London's history of NFL games and infrastructure makes it a prime candidate for an NFL team. A prospective franchise wouldn't have to shell out money for a new stadium.
Why the NFL wouldn't put a team in London
If the NFL wanted to put a team in London, relocating a current team may be easier than expanding the league. Thirty-three teams could require a league realignment similar to 2002 when the Houston Texans became the 32nd NFL franchise.
The 32-team league makes things very easy: eight divisions with four teams each. Would the new team join a pre-existing division, join a new division via realignment or be a standalone team? These are all questions that other teams would want to know, as overseas trips for games are a bigger undertaking than for domestic matchups.
On top of the logistics of teams traveling to and from the city for a regular franchise, a London team would require visas for players. That could require an entirely new governing body of the NFL in the United Kingdom.
All of the current teams and the NFL Players' Association (NFLPA) would have to agree on either expansion or relocation. The two sides are up for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) starting in the 2031 season and agreement on a London team may take a back seat to those negotiations.
Ultimately, some analysts believe the obstacles are too big to fully overcome for London to have an NFL team.
"I don't think anybody moves," NBC Sports' Mike Florio said in 2024. "It'll [ultimately] be a full home schedule. Eight games every year in England... they'll throw other European destinations in as well. I think eventually what they're going to have is every team playing at least one international game every season."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why the NFL may and may not put a team in London
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