Earlier in the offseason, the NFL announced that it would be holding its first-ever game in Brazil and that the Philadelphia Eagles would be hosting it. This left any of their nine opponents that they were scheduled to play as the home team as possible candidates to make the trip to face them there, and that list included the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers will not be making that trip as Adam Schefter reported on X that it will be the Green Bay Packers against the Eagles in Week 1 in São Paulo, Brazil, on Friday, the day after the season opener happens on Thursday Night Football.
The Steelers haven’t played an international game since traveling to London to play against the Minnesota Vikings in 2013. Team president Art Rooney II spoke about the possibility of playing internationally this offseason and stated that every team will be doing so over the next few years as a part of the NFL’s efforts to increase its international footprint in the Global Markets Program.
As a part of the Global Markets Program, the Steelers have rights to market in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Mexico, and Germany. Their next international game figures to be in one of those markets. Rooney stated his desire to play in Ireland over the next few years, but there has also been speculation by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac that the Steelers could play in Mexico as soon as the 2025 season. The stadium in Mexico City is under renovations in preparation to host the FIFA World Cup in 2026, so no games could have been played there in 2024.
The international games that have taken place over the last few years have been large successes for the NFL. Germany hosted its second regular-season game last year and games have been selling out in a matter of minutes.
There is a good chance that the Steelers will be playing internationally in the next year or two, but with Brazil off the table, it is not likely to take place in the 2024 season.
