NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said that he believes it is inevitable that an international team will one day play in the NFL and that it could be a precursor to an international Super Bowl. Currently, the NFL stands out for being the only major professional sports league in the US with no Canadian teams.  

American culture in general has proven very popular and influential around the world. Hollywood leads the world in movie production, and Las Vegas still ranks as one of the biggest gambling cities in the world. American iconography has also become popular in TV, movies, and gaming. Online casino live games are often heavily themed around popular shows like Family Feud and are streamed live from Vegas studios. US sports are following this ongoing trend by spreading globally.

Basketball is the country’s most popular sporting export. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) boasts more than 200 members, and professional leagues can be found in approximately 150 countries. The NBA holds league games in major cities around the world including Berlin and London.

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a slightly different story. It originated in Canada before expanding into the US, although the modern league is headquartered in New York, and 25 of the league’s 32 competing teams are based in the US. It also has the NHL Global Series, with games played in Germany, Finland, and other countries with a strong ice hockey following.

Despite the Super Bowl being broadcast in more than 130 countries, it and the rest of the NFL season has struggled to drum up a sizeable international audience. It does run the NFL International Series, however. In 2027, it is being extended from 9 this season to 10 games a season played in Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, the UK, and other participating countries.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">All NINE international games in 2026 🌎🌍🌏<br><br>NFL Schedule Release — Thursday 8pm ET on ESPN/NFLN <a href="https://t.co/XS1mNSsXGd">pic.twitter.com/XS1mNSsXGd</a></p>&mdash; NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/2054547534526419270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

No Canadian NFL Presence

But, unlike other sports, there are currently no foreign teams plying their trade in the NFL. Canadian teams play in the Canadian Football League and previous attempts to expand the NFL into Canada have been met with threats of enacting a Canadian Football Act.

The Act was initially proposed in 1974, and would have introduced a government protected monopoly, therefore preventing professional Canadian teams from playing in the American league. In 2007, the act was reconsidered, although it was never passed into law.

An International Super Bowl

Despite this, current Commissioner Roger Goodell said during an interview: “At some point, there will be NFL teams outside the USA. I have no doubt that this will happen one day."

Goodell also discussed the possibility of the Super Bowl being held outside the US. He said the most likely route to this would be if an international team played in the NFL, their home city could potentially host a Super Bowl.

However, he has previously said that the issue is not currently on the front-burner and considering the CFL’s position as well as the logistical challenges of hosting a team from another country, the idea of an international franchise in the NFL seems a long way off.