The NFL is expanding in Europe. After the UK and Germany, Spain and Ireland will apparently also get regular season games soon. According to a report, plans for guest appearances in Australia are also well advanced, and the Pro Bowl could also be held there.

While the NFL season is slowly entering its crucial phase, the International Series has already ended for this year. Five games took place outside the United States: three in London, one in Munich and, for the first time, one in Brazil, in Sao Paulo.

For weeks, there has been a lot of discussion and speculation about where the league might expand in the future. The focus is primarily on other European countries such as Spain and Ireland. However, according to a report by “CBS”, the NFL also wants to hold games at the other end of the world soon.

According to the report, Australia is the country outside of London in which the NFL is investing the most outside of the United States. An NFL academy for talented young people aged 12 to 18 was opened “down under” as early as 2022 – the second international talent pool in a foreign country after the one in Great Britain.

An “Elite NFL Academy” is to follow in Australia by 2026. The lively sports scene, which includes Australian rules football and rugby, is viewed positively. Furthermore, no other major US league has ventured into the market yet and there is no language barrier. The huge time difference is also manageable. Sydney is 16 hours ahead of the US East Coast.

The plan is to kick off the season with a regular season game in 2026, which means that Australia will have to wait a little longer despite the 2025 season probably being extended to eight international games. Sydney and Melbourne are mentioned as possible venues. Both cities have already been visited by NFL officials, but logistical hurdles still need to be overcome.

But what would set Australia apart from all other International Games hosts is that the Pro Bowl could also be held there in the future. According to CBS, the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane are possibly in the back of the NFL’s mind.

The NFL is also trying to make flag football better known. The non-contact version will make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028. However, it is still unclear whether the sport will also be played under the five rings four years later. Consequently, the hope seems to be that a star-studded appearance by NFL greats in Australia could also have a promotional effect for flag football.

With the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams, two franchises own the marketing rights for Australia. This automatically makes them favorites to play in the country. The Birds were just in Brazil for the country’s premiere in September, beating the Green Bay Packers 34-29. The Rams’ last appearance outside the U.S. was five years ago, when they beat the Cincinnati Bengals 24-10.