The National Football League (NFL) has confirmed that a regular season game will be heading to Berlin, Germany next year.
Berlin will become the first-ever game to be held in the German capital and the third city in the country to host an NFL regular season game. Munich has held games at the Allianz Arena in 2022 and 2024, whilst Frankfurt’s Deutsche Bank Park hosted a game in 2023.
2025’s Berlin NFL game will be played at the Olympic Stadium as part of a multi-year commitment between the State of Berlin and the league.
Senator for the Interior and Sports, State of Berlin, Iris Spranger, commented: “This long-term partnership with the NFL will continue to boost Berlin as a global sports metropolis, as well as excite fans at the Olympic Stadium.
“The 2025 NFL Berlin game means worldwide visibility, numerous international guests, increased tourism and high economic value across the city.
“We’re looking forward to an incredible game and an ongoing successful partnership with the league, as we continue to strengthen the presence of American football throughout the state.”
Following on from hosting the NFL game in 2025, the NFL will work with the Berlin Senate across its major sports development programme to grow and develop the game of flag football, which will be included in school curriculums and clubs.
However, this isn’t the first time the NFL have held games in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. From 1990 to 1994, there were five American Bowl games played at the venue.
The Berlin Olympic Stadium has an impressive track record of hosting major sporting competitions and finals, including the FIFA World Cup Final in 1974 and 2006, as well as the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2011 and the recent UEFA EURO 2024 Final this past summer.
NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, said: “Germany has a rich tradition of American football, and the NFL has a deep history with the city of Berlin.
“We first held a preseason game at the Olympic Stadium 34 years ago, before it was home to NFL Europe’s Berlin Thunder in the early 2000s. 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.”
The NFL has significantly expanded its international games series in recent years, entering new markets such as Brazil and Spain for the first time.
Last September, it hosted its first regular season game in São Paulo, Brazil, and will travel to Spain next season to host a regular season game at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu.