The NFL is heading to Berlin next year. After playing games in Munich and Frankfurt over the past three seasons, the league announced plans Wednesday to play a 2025 regular season game in Germany’s capital.
The 2025 Berlin game will be played at the city’s Olympic Stadium, which hosted five preseason “American Bowls” in the 1990s. Next year’s game is the first in a planned multi-year partnership between the league and the city.
“Germany has a rich tradition of American football, and the NFL has a deep history with the city of Berlin. …” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Now, with almost 20 million NFL fans in Germany, we’ll make a historic return to the city playing a regular season game for the first time as we open the next chapter in our relationship with Berlin.”
NFL owners have already approved a motion that allows the league to schedule as many as eight international games next season, including matchups in Berlin, London and Madrid. The German capital will be the eighth international city to host a regular season NFL game.
“The 2025 NFL Berlin game means worldwide visibility, numerous international guests, increased tourism and high economic value across the city,” Iris Spranger, Berlin’s senator for the interior and sports, said in a statement.
League officials said they plan to announce the remaining international hosts for next season in the coming weeks.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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