The NFL announced via their communications website that the Philadelphia Eagles will be hosting the first-ever game in Brazil during the opening weekend of the 2024 NFL season. Notably, the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of nine possible teams that could be making the trip to play the Eagles in South America, as the Steelers have a scheduled away game this season against the Eagles.
The game will be played on Friday, Sept. 6, during Week One, so there will be a game on both Thursday night and Friday night this year. This will be the first Friday night game in Week One in over 50 years.
Team President Art Rooney II gave his annual end-of-season interviews last week and was asked about the Steelers playing internationally. Here was what Rooney had to say on the topic in a video posted on the Steelers’ website:
“I think we will be playing overseas in the coming years, Rooney told King. “In fact, the league just made a decision at our last meeting in December that every team is going to play an international game probably within the next three or four years. So, at a minimum, we’ll play one international game in the next few years, and it could be more than that.”
Rooney also expressed a particular interest in playing an international game in either Mexico or Ireland.
Per the NFL release, the opponent won’t be announced until closer to the official schedule release in the Spring. The way Rooney was talking in his interview just last week, it didn’t sound like an international game was on the Steelers’ docket in the 2024 season, but there remains a chance that they could open their season with a game in Brazil.
The game will be played in São Paulo, Brazil, at the Corinthians Arena. The SC Corinthians soccer club plays there, and it was an official venue for the 2014 FIFA World Cup as well as the 2016 Olympic Games.
The Steelers’ last international game was in 2013, as they traveled to London to play the Minnesota Vikings at Wembley Stadium in Week Four that season. The Steelers lost 34-27.
