New York (AFP) – The Green Bay Packers will play the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL’s first regular-season game in Brazil on September 6, the league announced on Wednesday.
The NFL’s first contest in South America will be played at Sao Paulo’s Corinthians Arena, home to Brazilian football club Corinthians.
The match will be played during the opening week of the 2024 NFL season and mark the first time since 1970 that the NFL has played a Friday night game on the opening weekend.
“As global growth continues to be a critical and strategic priority for the NFL and its 32 clubs, we’re thrilled to have the Green Bay Packers playing against the Philadelphia Eagles in our first-ever game in South America,” said NFL International managing director Gerrit Meier.
“With over 35 million passionate fans in Brazil, the Friday night 2024 regular season opener in Sao Paulo will bring an incredible energy -– marking a historic moment for our sport internationally.”
The Eagles had been selected to host the Brazil contest earlier, but it was uncertain which club would be their opponent.
“We’re looking forward to being a part of this historic matchup,” Packers president Mark Murphy said.
“We’re excited to play in front of our devoted fans in Brazil and help build upon the international popularity of the NFL and the Packers.”
Four other regular-season NFL games will be played outside US markets — two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, another at London’s Wembley Stadium and the other at Munich, Germany.
© 2024 AFP
