Over the past 10 years, the Kansas City Chiefs have played at least one game in three different foreign countries and they could soon be adding another one to that list.
The NFL is holding a total of seven international games this year, and right now, the Chiefs are “the No. 1 franchise in consideration” to be the visiting team in Brazil against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to The Athletic.
The game in Sao Paulo will be played in Week 1 on Friday, Sept. 5. This will mark the second time the NFL has put a game in Brazil. The first game came last year when the Eagles beat the Packers in their season opener that started Philadelphia’s Super Bowl season.
When it comes to playing international games, the Chiefs have been one of the NFL’s busiest teams. Since 2015, they’ve been sent to England (2015), Mexico (2019) and Germany (2023).
The 2019 game in Mexico City was actually against the Chargers. The reason the Chiefs have been getting so many international games is because they’re popular and because they actually want to play in them.
At the NFL’s annual league meeting this week, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said his team is always open to playing abroad.
“We make the league aware every year that we would be delighted to play (an international game), whether as a home team or as an away team,” Hunt said Monday, via The Athletic. “We hope, at some point, we’ll get picked back up. … We’re willing to do it whenever the opportunity presents itself.”
Not only do the Chiefs have to be on board with this plan, but so do the Chargers. There hasn’t been a single divisional game scheduled outside North America over the past six years and one reason for that has to do with competitive balance. If the Chargers play the Chiefs in Brazil, that means a home game against a key divisional rival now becomes a neutral-site game. According to The Athletic, the Chargers are “not opposed” to the idea of facing the Chiefs.
If the Chiefs do head to Brazil, that will make the game much more attractive, which could mean more money for the NFL. This year’s game will be up for bid and it’s expected to land on a streaming service, according to The Athletic. Last year’s game was on Peacock.
The Chargers are one of seven teams that have been tabbed to serve as the “home” team in an international game this year. Here’s a look at the other six:
- London: Jaguars (Wembley Stadium)
- London: Jets (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
- London: Browns (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
- Berlin: Colts (Olympic Stadium)
- Dublin: Steelers (Croke Park)
- Madrid: Dolphins (Santiago Bernabéu Stadium)
We’ll find out whether the Chiefs are headed to Brazil when the 2025 NFL schedule is released in May.
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