“This is getting out of control” – Roger Goodell announcing NFL’s vision to play eight international games next season doesn’t sit well with fans on social media

Roger Goodell's plan to expand the regular season international game series to eight games from next season didn’t sit well with the fans.

“This is getting out of control” – Roger Goodell announcing NFL’s vision to play eight international games next season doesn’t sit well with fans on social media

Roger Goodell (Via ESPN)

The NFL has officially wrapped up its 2024 International Games and Commissioner Roger Goodell is already making plans for next season. However, his plan to expand the international game series didn’t sit well with the fans, as they expressed displeasure on social media. 

After the final NFL Matchup of this season’s international games, Goodell opened up about his ambitious plans to expand the NFL’s global presence. Starting with the 2025 season, where he introduces an eight-international game series, to be played outside the United States next regular season. 

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“We are definitely going to Spain, we announced that. We expect to return to Mexico City. We expect to return to Brazil. We will certainly be back in the U.K. And we’re also looking at the potential of another game in the U.K. area in Ireland, possibly…That’s a possibility. And we’ll certainly be back here in Germany. So if that total’s eight, that’s what we’re shooting for.

Roger Goodell said, in a conversation with NFL Network’s Colleen Wolfe

This tradition of international games started in 2007 when the NFL expanded to the United Kingdom, that continued hosting a regular season game ever since then. Counting Ireland, the NFL International Games will now be held in six countries, including four in Europe– the United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany, Brazil, and Spain. 

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Goodell is moving ahead with a vision to take the NFL to every corner of the world to increase the fandom. Compared to 2007, when it all started, the international market has grown exceptionally as tickets for these matches often sold out pretty quickly. 

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Fans react to Roger Goodell’s vision to play eight international NFL games

As much as the increased number of NFL International Game series would benefit the league, it may pose challenges for fans living in America. Not only could this lead to higher ticket prices, but travel to another country– or even a whole other continent can be quite expensive; not to mention how hectic it would be for players to manage traveling along with practices. 

Roger Goodell
Roger Goodell (via IMAGO)

One fan wrote, “This is getting out of control here,” joined by another who demanded, “Add an extra week to the season and give every team a second bye after their international games Roger.” Here are some of the fan reactions:

This isn’t the first time the NFL Commission has addressed this subject, as previously he mentioned hosting 16 International Games each season, which also resulted in a huge backlash from the fans. The only notable difference between then and now is the reduced number of games, and this change is now official.