Berlin to host Regular Season NFL Game in 2025
Since 2022, Regular Season games of the NFL have been held annually in Germany. As part of a new deal, three games have been allocated to Berlin’s Olympiastadion. By 2029, at least three games are planned to take place in Germany each year.
Since 2022, the National Football League (NFL) has successfully hosted Regular Season games in Germany. While the league played at Munich's Allianz Arena in 2022 and 2024, two games were held at Frankfurt's Deutsche Bank Park in 2023. In 2025, the NFL will make its debut in the German capital with a Regular Season game. Additionally, the league announced plans to continue holding games in Germany regularly through 2029. The games in 2025, 2027, and 2029 will take place at the Olympiastadion.
"Germany has a rich tradition in American football, and the NFL shares a strong connection with the city of Berlin," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "Thirty-four years ago, we hosted our first preseason game at the Olympiastadion, which later became the home of the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe in the early 2000s. Now, with nearly 20 million NFL fans in Germany, we are returning to Berlin for a historic Regular Season game, opening a new chapter in our relationship with the city."
"This long-term partnership with the NFL will further strengthen Berlin's position as a global sports metropolis and excite fans at the Olympiastadion," stated Iris Spranger, Senator for Internal Affairs and Sports of the State of Berlin. "The 2025 NFL game in Berlin means global visibility, numerous international visitors, increased tourism, and significant economic benefits for the city. We look forward to an impressive game and a successful partnership with the league as we continue to expand the presence of American football in the country."
The sports development program accompanying the NFL games, launched by the Berlin Senate for American Football and Flag Football, includes close collaboration with Berlin schools. The trendy sport of Flag Football, which will debut at the Olympics in 2028, is to be firmly integrated into school sports. Flag Football is highly suitable as an inclusive sport and fits all school types and many teaching formats.
The program creates a strong connection between elite and school sports and is carried out in cooperation with the American Football and Cheerleading Association of Berlin-Brandenburg (AFCVBB). Additionally, the State of Berlin will support the German American Football Federation (AFVD) in its bid to host the IFAF Mixed Flag Football World Championship 2026 or the Mixed Flag Football European Championship 2027.
Starting in 2025, the NFL will be able to plan up to eight international Regular Season games per season. Announced so far are two Regular Season games in London at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and one game in Madrid at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, the home ground of Real Madrid. Further games and venues will be announced in the coming weeks and months.
To date, 55 NFL Regular Season games have been played worldwide – including in London, Munich, Frankfurt, São Paulo, Mexico City, and Toronto. In the coming months, the NFL will announce the participating teams, the game schedule, and ticketing information. (stadiaworld, 11.12.2024)
