Over the past few seasons, the NFL has regularly held games in Europe as the league hopes to inspire a new generation of fans. Football is growing in popularity across Europe, and while it still has a long way to go before overtaking soccer, these special games regularly sell out stadiums. This October, three NFL games will be held in London, England, giving European fans a way to watch their favorite teams play.
It was decided that starting with the 2022 season, up to four of the teams from the conference whose teams were eligible for a ninth regular-season home game would instead be designated to play a neutral-site international game each year as part of the League’s expansion of the regular season to 17 games.
The NFL’s international series will begin in 2022 with two weekends of games at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Minnesota Vikings vs New Orleans Saints
The Saints and the Vikings have each played in London three times. Both teams have won two of their three games in the city and will be hoping for a win here. This will be their first time playing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and they’ll be facing each other on October 2.
The Vikings won two out of their first three games, heavily beating the Packers before falling to a similar defeat to the Eagles and then winning a close game vs the Lions. The Vikings have a superior head-to-head record against the Saints at 23-13, and they’ll be hoping to add to that record on October 2.
So far this season, the Saints have one win in three games, edging out the Falcons in their season opener before losing to the Buccaneers and the Panthers. They’ll be hoping to turn things around against the Vikings in this international series and will call on the likes of Alvin Kamara and Cameron Jordan to win the game.
New York Giants vs Green Bay Packers
A week later, London will once again get to witness some NFL action as the New York Giants face the Green Bay Packers. The Packers will be making their first-ever international trip after winning their third consecutive NFC North division. The game is to be held at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, which has a special retractable pitch designed for NFL games.
The Giants have played in the UK three times previously, having won the very first NFL London game back in 2007. So far this season, they’ve won two out of three games, losing to the Cowboys but beating the Panthers and the Titans. They’re behind in the head-to-head record between the teams, but they have the advantage of having played in London several times before.
For the Packers, this is new territory, as they’ll be playing overseas for the first time ever. This season has seen the packers win two out of three games, including wins over the Buccaneers and the Bears.
Denver Broncos vs Jacksonville Jaguars
On Sunday, October 30, the action in London shifts to Wembley Stadium. The Jacksonville Jaguars previously played there for seven consecutive seasons, visiting Tottenham Hotspur last season. They’ll face the Denver Broncos, who are visiting the UK for the first time since their 2010 game at Wembley.
The Broncos lost their season opener against the Seahawks by one point and have since won their next two games against the Texans and 49ers. Meanwhile, the Jaguars have also won two out of three games, losing against the Commanders but shutting out the Colts and comfortably beating the Chargers. This should be an excellent game between two strong sides.
