NFL Lines up Teams for 2022 International Games

The Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will each play international games during the 2022 season in destinations that include Mexico, the UK and Germany.

The Buccaneers have been assigned to play in the NFL’s inaugural regular-season game in Munich, Germany. The Cardinals, meanwhile, will play in Mexico City, where they hosted the league’s first regular-season game outside the United States in 2005.

Details of the dates, matchups and kickoff times will be confirmed later in the year when the full 2022 schedule is announced.

For the Packers, who will head to London with or without star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the game will mark the team’s first international trip. They will become the 32nd NFL team to play in London since the league began playing there in 2007. The Saints will make their third UK appearance. The Jaguars, who have been a mainstay of the London slate, previously announced that they will play a home game at Wembley Stadium in 2022.

“We are very excited to be staging five games outside the United States in 2022, and thank the clubs for their continued commitment to growing the sport internationally,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice president, club business and league events. “Our fans in Germany, Mexico and the UK can look forward to seeing some of the most iconic names and biggest stars in the league and enjoying an incredible series of events.”

The NFL has been able to increase its international presence in part because of the expanded schedule of 17 games. Under terms of the deal to add an extra week of the regular season, which started in 2021, up to four of the teams from the conference whose teams were eligible for a ninth regular-season home game would instead be designated to play a neutral-site international game each year.

“Our fans in the UK and elsewhere in Europe have been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to see the Packers play in their backyard, and we know that many of our fans in the United States will travel to London,” Packers President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Murphy said. “It will be an honor to represent the NFL, as well as Green Bay and the state of Wisconsin, internationally. This will be a great opportunity to introduce the Packers, as well Green Bay and our area, to an international audience and encourage fans in the UK to visit us in person at Lambeau Field.”

The NFL had previously announced that Munich and Frankfurt will stage regular-season games in Germany over the next four years, with the Munich game featuring the Buccaneers to be the first in the series.

“We look forward to participating in the first regular-season NFL game in Munich, Germany later this fall as part of the international series,” said Buccaneers Owner and Co-Chairman Joel Glazer. “This historic game will play a crucial role in the NFL’s efforts to grow its international footprint while allowing us to directly engage NFL fans in Germany.”

In Mexico, the Cardinals last played at Estadio Azteca in front of an announced crowd of 103,467 — the eighth-largest crowd in NFL history.

“In 2005 when the Cardinals hosted the first NFL regular-season game played outside the United States, we experienced first-hand the extraordinary support and incredible passion of our fans in Mexico,” said Arizona Cardinals Owner Michael Bidwill. “We know that has increased exponentially in the years since and are thrilled to return to Mexico City and Estadio Azteca in 2022.”

Hall of Fame Game Matchup Announced