NFL to consider hosting a match in the Middle East
The National Football League is considering the option of holding a regular-season match in the United Arab Emirates.
Peter O\'Reilly, the executive vice president of the league, confirmed during a press conference on Monday at the NFL owners meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. that there is a "strong interest" in hosting a game in either Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
"We are uncertain about the timing and it is still a possibility whether we will hold a game there. What I can say is that there is a high demand for our game throughout the year in that market... It is a market that we will continue to investigate," O'Reilly stated.
"We have conducted some preliminary trips to understand the feasibility of a potential regular-season game in the market, but we still have more work to do in order to determine what that would look like in the near future."
As part of the NFL International Series, games were played in Brazil, England, and Germany in 2024. All three countries are once again on the schedule for 2025, along with Spain and Ireland. In 2026, Australia will host a game.
On Monday, the league expanded its global markets program by granting international marketing rights in the UAE to the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Commanders.
