NFL's Roger Goodell Sees 16 International Games Per Season in 'Very Near Future'

The NFL continues to expand its reach outside the United States with more international games every year, and Roger Goodell has no plans of stalling that growth anytime soon.

With the league set to play seven international games in 2025, the NFL commissioner said he wants to eventually play 16 games outside of the United States.

“I do see 16 regular season games, and I do think that will happen in the very near future,” Goodell told CNBC’s Scott Wapner (h/t Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith). “Within five years probably.”

This season, 13 teams will play seven international games. Three games will be played in England, and Brazil, Germany, Ireland and Spain will each host one game. The Minnesota Vikings are the only team set to play two games outside of the United States as they'll face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin and the Cleveland Browns in London.

The Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 5 in São Paulo in the first International game of the season.

Goodell said last fall that he planned to play "at least" seven international games in 2025, and he achieved that goal. Now he's eyeing even more growth.

Expanding to a 16-game international schedule would likely mean a game outside of the United States nearly every week. It would also likely give all 32 teams an international game rather than a select few.

A push for more International games continues Goodell's efforts to expand the NFL season from 17 games to 18. Goodell said in November that he's hoping to move to an 18-game schedule with fewer preseason games soon.

"We could be doing more regular season than preseason, so we're looking at a change from the 17-and-three format to maybe 18 regular season games and two preseason games," Goodell said, per Sports Business Journal's Ben Fischer. "And that will open up more inventory to allow us to play more globally."

Of course, more International games and an 18-game schedule would first require agreement from the players. The NFL and NFLPA's Collective Bargaining Agreement doesn't expire until after the 2030 season, so an expanded schedule might have to wait until then unless Goodell and the NFL can negotiate a new deal that appeases the NFLPA in the coming years.

There are certainly arguments to be made in favor of an 18-game schedule and 16 International games, like more revenue that in turn leads to players making more, but a longer season would be more taxing on players and could potentially lead to more injuries.