SEATTLE - For the first time ever, the NFL is bringing football to South America. The teams in charge of kicking things off will be the designated home team Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers.
The first-ever regular season game IN BRAZIL is SET! 🇧🇷 @NFLBrasil
— NFL (@NFL) April 10, 2024
And for the first time in more than 50 years, an NFL game will be played on Friday night of opening weekend. pic.twitter.com/9T4HGqXdkd
The new NFL season will kickoff on Thursday, Sept. 5. The São Paulo game between Eagles and Packers will take one night after the traditional season opener, which will involve the defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs.
Not only is Brazil going to be the home of the first-ever NFL game in South America, but they will also host the first NFL game to be played on Friday night of opening weekend in more than 50 years, as the league hasn't had a Friday night game in Week 1 since 1970.
Everything the NFL does is a calculated move, and this announcement proves to be another example. Brazil celebrates its national Independence Day on Sept. 7, so NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and São Paulo authorities will try to maximize the hype produced by the game and leave a great economic impact in the region.
According to league numbers, Brazil is an important global market for the NFL, accounting for more than 38 million fans, with 8.3 million of them considered as 'avid' fans. Only Mexico, who will see their international games suspended until at least 2025 due to the Estadio Azteca's ongoing renovations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has a bigger international market for the sport.
The venue for the first-ever NFL game in South America will be the Arena Corinthians, home of one of the biggest soccer clubs in Brazil. The stadium has been host to a lot of other notable events, including six matches during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Even though it will be unchartered territory for both teams, they are not strange at facing each other in Week 1. The 2024 game will be the third time both Packers and Eagles open the season against each other, with Green Bay winning the previous two in 2010 and 2007. In both instances, the game was decided by seven points or less.
The Eagles have a positive record in Week 1 games since the start of the 21st Century, winning 16 of their 23 opening games. Green Bay also has a good track record on opening week, winning seven of its last 10 Week 1 games.
Both franchises will be playing in their second-ever international series game. It will be Philadelphia's first trip outside of the U.S. since 2018, when they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. On the other hand, Green Bay's last international trip came more recently, a 27-22 loss to the New York Giants at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, also in London, in 2022.
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