NFL Owners Approve New International Games Limit in Vote, Full Details Revealed

The NFL is set to expand its international reach next year.

Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, NFL EVP Peter O'Reilly announced that owners voted to increase the cap on international games from eight to 10 in 2027. The Jaguars' game at Wembley Stadium in London ups that number to 11 potential international games next season.

Per Breer, O'Reilly added that the league will need NFLPA approval to go beyond 10 international games in 2027. O'Reilly also named Japan "specifically as a future frontier."

The NFL will play nine international games during the upcoming 2026 campaign. The league will visit Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany and Mexico.

"We've identified markets beyond these that we think could be great," O'Reilly said Monday during an appearance on Up & Adams. "Australia is obviously a sports-crazed market. You think about the parts of the world we haven't played a game and don't have a year-round presence. That includes markets in Asia, a market like Japan, which again, very different but is a unique culture. Italy, where two of our clubs — the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns — now have rights via the Global Markets Program."

He continued: "So, nothing imminent. We have a lot ahead of us right now, but we have to do the groundwork in those potential next markets. … Not sure we're headed to play a game in Africa in the near term, but there's so much that we're doing in Africa … we're doing so much there. Nigeria qualified for the world championships, men's and women's, in flag (football). There are parts of the world that are really active with our game. It's just, what is the right time to take a next step?"

The NFL is committed to growing the game of football on a global level, so Tuesday's vote is another step toward achieving that goal.