Interest in football has been growing overseas and while entities like the European League of Football, Japan’s X-League Super, Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional in Mexico, and countless others carry the torch, the NFL itself has begun paying more attention to international markets. We’ve seen games in London and Mexico City in recent years, but in an exciting development, the NFL has begun to assign teams to markets abroad.
Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal reported on some of these international market assignments last week, and now the NFL’s Communications Department has dropped this on Twitter.
It looks like there is a heavy focus on Europe, and Mexico but the broad scope of countries from all across the globe listed here shows the great potential that is International Football.
Some obvious ones, like the Seahawks/Vikings and Canada would be easy to build on, especially because of their proximity. Seattle is heavily favored in cities like BC, though this does raise doubts about the likelihood of a possible Toronto team, if the NFL is planning on handing rights to the Seattle and Minnesota. It would be cool to see West/Central/East followings with these two teams and a Toronto franchise, but that’d be a long ways off.
Others, like Miami and Brazil seem a bit out of left field, but they make sense when you think about it. Brazil already has the Superliga Nacional de Futebol Americano which has been playing since 2010, and it’s one of the largest markets in the Americas.
I’d dive into each of these connections because of the fascinating implications they carry, but we’d be here all day. Since the tide seems to be rising on the stage of international football, how do Dany & The Rock’s plans for the XFL play into this trend?
Last year, overtures were made about a possible partnership between the XFL and CFL, and though nothing came to fruition it gave us key insights into ownership’s vision for the league. It seems they’re looking to do more than just run a spring league, they want to change the face of the game.
Though the 2023 season is still a long ways off, and any expansion past that is beyond the scope of speculation, this growing attention on Gridiron Football worldwide could come to play a role in the XFL’s future.
Amid these talks between the XFL and CFL last spring, interest from south of the border came from Mexico’s LFA, and the potential for worldwide football seems stronger than ever. It’s an exciting time to be a football fan, no matter which country you call home, and it seems like there are big things in store for the game as a whole. Stay tuned for the latest here at XFL News Hub.
