The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t know who and when they’ll be playing in Dublin, Ireland, for the NFL’s first-ever regular season game there. But they know roughly when they’ll find out. Per NFL UK & Ireland GM Henry Hodgson via NFL Ireland reporter Michael McQuaid, both will be announced “shortly” after April’s draft.
How “shortly” that timeline truly is remains up in the air. Obviously, a post-April announcement gets close to the official schedule release, which will take place in mid-May. But the NFL often announces international games ahead of time and Pittsburgh’s game in Ireland is arguably the most marquee one given that it’s the first held in the country.
Rumors and reports indicate it will occur early in the season against the Green Bay Packers, a matchup of two of the NFL’s most historic franchises. But nothing has been made official.
Pittsburgh was a logical chose to be the “home” team for Ireland’s first regular-season game. With their Irish roots, the Rooney family pushed the NFL hard to participate and given the Steelers haven’t played overseas in more than a decade, they were “due” for a big event like this.
This year’s game will mark the second time the Steelers have played in Ireland after beating the Chicago Bears in a 1996 preseason contest.
The game will be played in historic Croke Park. Tight end Pat Freiermuth got a sneak peek at the venue earlier today, sharing a video of him inside the stadium.
Under commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL has made a hard push to expand the game globally. In addition to hosting several games in London, the league has played in Germany, Brazil, and plans to hold a 2026 game in Melbourne, Australia, featuring the Los Angeles Rams. The Steelers’ last international game occurred in 2013, a loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London.
