NEW YORK (Reuters) – The Minnesota Vikings will be hosted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin this season, while the Miami Dolphins face Washington Commanders in Madrid and Indianapolis Colts play Atlanta Falcons in Berlin as the NFL continues its international push.
It will be the first time the league has held regular-season games in those three cities as the NFL aggressively pursues lucrative global marketing opportunities, with a game set to be staged in Melbourne for the first time in 2026.
The match-ups were announced on Tuesday as part of a league-record seven international games in five different host countries, including the UK and Brazil.
The Vikings will be the first team in the league to play back-to-back international games, featuring in Week 4 at Dublin’s Croke Park before travelling to London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face the Cleveland Browns in Week 5.
“Playing in Ireland’s first-ever NFL game is an opportunity to introduce new fans to the Minnesota Vikings and help the league continue to make the game of football more accessible globally,” Vikings owner Mark Wilf said in a statement.
The team has a strong history on the international circuit, having won the NFL’s first game played in Europe, an exhibition game against the then-St Louis Cardinals, at Wembley in 1983.
The Vikings have never lost in an international game, including four regular-season matches in Britain.
“UK fans have a history of showing up and embracing the Minnesota Vikings, creating what often feels like a home field environment,” said Wilf.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Ken Ferris)
