NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell just laid out a massive ambition for the league, stating he has his "eyes set on being 16 games internationally every year." Sixteen games! He flat-out said, "We think we can do it," which tells you everything about the scale of what's coming. This isn't some small experiment anymore, this is a full-blown global takeover, and it is going to put a real strain on the guys on the field.
Asia Is Next, But That's Just the Start
We already know the NFL has been pushing its international reach hard across Europe and South America in the last few seasons. But Goodell is now eyeing Asia for a regular-season game, something we haven't seen before. We had a preseason game in Tokyo way back when, but the commissioner explicitly wants a *real* game there next. That's just one piece of the puzzle, too. Goodell confirmed he's looking at "about 10" international markets for possible future games. The scale of this expansion is insane. We're talking about a record nine international games across four different continents just in 2026 alone. Imagine hitting 10 different global spots, making football truly global. That's a huge leap, and for the first time ever, Australia is even getting in on the action, hosting the 49ers against the Rams on September 10th. Goodell is clearly serious about growing the game outside of the United States.The Grind of Global Travel and the Player's Association
Goodell's long-term vision is even wilder: he said last September he'd eventually like to be playing an international game almost every week. Now, he admitted that kind of schedule would likely need the NFL to expand to an 18-game season, which is a whole other can of worms. But let's be real, while these international games are a killer way to spread the gospel of football, that kind of travel schedule isn't ideal for the teams. Think about what flying across continents does to a player's body, their recovery, their family life. It's a brutal grind. And this is where the NFL Players' Association comes in. Their willingness to get on board with more and more international games is going to be the biggest hurdle. If the players aren't convinced this massive expansion works for them, it could seriously slow Goodell's pursuit of adding even more games down the line. It's an undeniable conflict between the league's global ambitions and the realities of what these athletes go through. Goodell has a clear vision for the NFL's future: global domination. But the path to 16 international games every single year, let alone "almost every week," is paved with logistical challenges and player concerns. That Australia game in September? It's just a taste of how far this league wants to go. The question isn't *if* they'll expand, but *how* far they can push it before the players say "enough is enough."This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.