The NFL has its eyes on returning to Japan with a game potentially happening in 2027 or 2028, according to commissioner Roger Goodell.
Appearing on the “NFL Daily” podcast this week, Goodell said the league’s goal is to hold a regular-season game in Tokyo at some point over the next two seasons.
"Listen, Tokyo is clearly on our list, whether it's next year or the year after," Goodell said. "It's coming at some point in the near future."
It’s not a matter of if, but when at this point. Goodell’s comments come nearly two months after NFL executive vice president of club business and international and league events Peter O’Reilly said the league had been researching returning to Japan for a game and three months since Goodell named the country as one that was being targeted as a host city.
A regular-season NFL game has never been played in Japan, but the league did host 14 preseason games there between 1976 to 2005 — 13 in Tokyo and one in Osaka.
The success of the San Francisco 49ers-Los Angeles Rams Week 1 game in Melbourne, Australia has played a role in helping the NFL learn how to pull off such a game.
"On a Friday morning at 10:30, to have 100,000 people in the stadium, it was just an incredible feeling for us. I think it's opened up new opportunities for us," Goodell said. "The travel is something we think we can manage and do it without impacting negatively on the teams. So each of these we learned something from and we benefit and we also open those other doors."
Should the NFL go to Japan, the Los Angeles Rams would likely be one of the teams involved. Under the league's Global Markets Program, the team has marketing rights in the country.
The NFL would like to increase the number of international games per season to 16 in the future. For now, owners approved a proposal to play up to 10 outside of the U.S. in 2027. Currently, there are five international games scheduled next season with Berlin, Mexico City and London (three games) set to host.
The New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers will play the sixth international game on the 2026 schedule this Sunday from Stade de France in Paris. Three more international games will be left to be played this season in Madrid, Munich and Mexico City.