The Pittsburgh Steelers have deep ties to the Republic of Ireland with the Rooney family heritage coming from there. They have been patiently waiting for the NFL to expand to Ireland for one of their international games, and it seems like that may be as soon as the 2025 season, per Roger Goodell on NFL GameDay Kickoff on NFL Network.
It sounds like there will be eight international games, and here are the cities Goodell listed off today.
“We are definitely going to Spain,” Goodell said. “We expect to return to Mexico City, we expect to return to Brazil. We will certainly be back in the UK, and we are also looking at the potential of another game in the UK area, Ireland possibly…And we’ll certainly be back here in Germany. That totals eight, that’s what we’re shooting for.”
The NFL has discussed trying to get up to 16 international games each season, which would be one per team every season, as part of their Global Markets Program. The Steelers have marketing rights to Mexico, the Island of Ireland, and are currently expanding to Germany.
Art Rooney II has reportedly bugged Goodell frequently about playing in Ireland. The late Dan Rooney served as an ambassador to Ireland from 2009 to 2012. If the NFL does get the all clear for Ireland next year, I feel pretty certain the Steelers will be involved in that first game. Mexico City is a strong possibility if not, and of course there is an outside chance for Germany. A game is being played in Munich today, and the NFL wants to expand to Berlin. Rooney has stated that the Steelers will be playing internationally in 2025 either in Mexico City or Ireland.
The Steelers have been ramping up efforts in Ireland with different fan events and a kicking clinic to tap into the growing interest in punting and kicking in the UK.