NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Thursday that the league will return to Mexico City in 2026 with an official game at Estadio Azteca.
“We will be back in Mexico City next year, and we are very excited,” he said at the Leaders in Sport conference held in London.
The announcement is part of the NFL’s broader international expansion strategy, which aims to host 16 regular international games, diversifying beyond Europe and the Americas. Australia has already been confirmed as a host for a game, and Asia is also on the horizon, although no specific cities have yet been announced.
Goodell also revealed that within the next two years the league will launch professional men’s and women’s flag football leagues, an initiative aligned with the sport’s debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Estadio Azteca is currently undergoing major renovations as part of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Goodell’s announcement coincides with the expected completion of these upgrades, which would allow American football to return to the iconic venue.
The NFL has previously enjoyed great success at Estadio Azteca. One of the most economically profitable games was the 2016 matchup between the Texans and Raiders, which generated around $45 million USD in total revenue for Mexico City (with an estimated $32 million in additional economic spending for the city), according to an NFL-commissioned study.
The stadium also hosted the very first official regular-season NFL game outside the United States in 2005, drawing a record-setting 103,467 fans at the time.
Impact and Expectations
This announcement reaffirms Mexico’s strategic role for the NFL as a key market for Latino fans. The league aims to leverage this audience with greater international presence.
The combination of the Azteca’s return, geographical expansion, and the rise of flag football marks a new chapter for the NFL, one that aspires to cement its brand on a truly global scale.
With the official confirmation, the countdown begins for Estadio Azteca to once again see its fans roar for American football, as Mexico and the NFL prepare for what promises to be another landmark event in their shared history.
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Mexican Press Agency is part of ALMA, which is dedicated to news and information about Mexico and Mexicans in the United States and is a fiscally sponsored project of Social Focus, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Redwood City, California.
