The commissioner says a regular-season game in Japan could land in 2027 or 2028.
Roger Goodell says Tokyo is next on the NFL's international wish list. Speaking on the "NFL Daily" podcast on Friday, Oct. 23, the commissioner said the league is targeting a regular-season game in Japan for 2027 or 2028.
"Listen, Tokyo is clearly on our list, whether it's next year or the year after," Goodell said. "It's coming at some point in the near future."
The timing is notable. Goodell made the comments two days before the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints play the NFL's first-ever game in France, part of a nine-game international slate for 2026. Under Goodell, the league has steadily widened its footprint abroad, adding Germany, Brazil and Australia as host countries in recent years on top of its long-running commitment to at least three games a year in London.
A Tokyo game would mark the NFL's first regular-season trip to Asia, continuing a strategy of chasing new fan bases and broadcast windows well outside its usual home markets. No date, opponent or venue has been set, but Goodell's framing suggests the league views it as a matter of when, not if.