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The NFL has taken its talents to Mexico City over the last couple of years. The Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers are the latest teams to venture into Mexico.
The first NFL game that was played in Mexico took place in 2005. It was between the Cardinals and the 49ers, but it took the league another 11 years to return as the Houston Texans faced the Oakland Raiders.
The last game was in 2019, but it was ditched due to the COVID pandemic. Now, in 2022, it's back.
In a nutshell, the NFL made the decision to play meaningful games outside the US to expand its footprint in other markets. While the NFL is a global juggernaught, it can always be bigger.
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By playing games in Mexico City or Germany as the Buccaneers and Seahawks did last week, it promotes the game to other countries and, in turn, puts more eyeballs on the league and more money rolls in.
It is a great initiative for the league to take the NFL "on the road", and it is been a huge success.
How many NFL games will be played in Mexico City?
At the time of writing, there have been five NFL games played in Mexico City. As stated above, the Cardinals and 49ers got it started in 2005 with the Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots all playing games there.
It is not known how many more games will be played in Mexico City, but it certainly seems like the NFL will try to play, at least, one game per season in the city.
What NFL teams are playing in Mexico City today?
The San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals are the two teams playing in the 2022 version of the NFL International Series.
Given that the 49ers, Raiders and Cardinals have all played twice in Mexico City, it remains to be seen if they will add to their tally or if the league will want different teams each season.
When did the NFL start playing in Mexico City?
The league first started playing games in Mexico City way back in 2005. Despite the serious starting then, it took over a decade for the league to return. But once they did, three consecutive years saw a meaningful game played in Mexico City.
After a two-year break due to the pandemic, it is hoped that this will now become a regular thing each season.
Is the NFL popular in Mexico City?
Football is extremely popular in Mexico City. Perhaps, that is one of the big reasons why the stadiums are packed out each game.
Per Forbes.com, the NFL is the second most popular sport in Mexico City. The most popular teams are the 49ers, Cowboys and Steelers. Maybe the league can get those three teams to play there in the near future.
Where will the NFL go from Mexico City for its international series?
Just where the International Series goes from here is anyone's guess. After playing three games in London this season, one in Germany and now one in Mexico City, the next destination will be interesting.
Just where the league chooses to go will be fascinating, but one suspects it will be somewhere in Europe.
