Roger Goodell Teases NFL’s Next International Game Location, And Fans Hate It
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The NFL might be heading to another huge global city soon. Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed that Tokyo is still on the table for future games, though plenty of fans in the United States aren’t thrilled about losing more games to overseas trips.
The news comes right before the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints clash in the NFL’s first-ever game in Paris. The league is clearly doubling down on efforts to find new fans around the world.
Goodell thinks Tokyo could host a regular-season game as early as 2027 or 2028. But while the NFL sees big business in Japan, many fans are left wondering why so many games have to leave the States in the first place.
NFL Fans Push Back Against Roger Goodell’s Tokyo Plans
Goodell discussed the possibility of a Tokyo game in comments reported by NFL.com on Friday. He said the city remains a priority as the league continues to expand its international reach.
“Listen, Tokyo is clearly on our list,” Goodell said. “It’s coming at some point in the near future. We’re going to continue to focus on our priority markets, which a lot of them they’ve been in, but there are other cities; this year, we went to Rio rather than São Paulo.”
The comments sparked a wave of negative reactions on social media.
One fan responded, “Alright Roger…just stop.”
Alright Roger…just stop
— Mr. Williams (@deecwilliams) October 23, 2026
Another fan argued that the league has gone too far with its international plans. “Enough is enough with adding these international games, all you do is take games away from fans,” the fan wrote.
@AroundTheNFL Enough is enough with adding these international games
Regards,
Most #NFL fans
— The Ghost of Will McDonough (@GhostMcDonough) October 23, 2026
A third fan took a stronger position, writing, “Football is an American sport. KEEP IT IN AMERICA.”
@AroundTheNFL Football is an American sport. KEEP IT IN AMERICA!
— Mark (@markblends) October 23, 2026
Another person suggested, “These are all tests because the NFL is going to eventually try to have an NFL game every day of the week.”
@AroundTheNFL These are all tests because the NFL is going to eventually try to have an NFL game every day of the week.
— Manuel Perez (@Perez5Manuel) October 23, 2026
The NFL still has three international games on its 2026 schedule after the Paris game. The Cincinnati Bengals will face the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid during Week 9. The following weekend, the New England Patriots will meet the Detroit Lions in Munich.
The Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers will then close out the international schedule with a game in Mexico City.
With Tokyo now on the league’s radar, the NFL appears ready to keep exploring overseas opportunities despite the pushback from some fans.
