Brazil to host South America's first NFL game in 2024

Dec. 13 (UPI) -- South America will host an NFL game for the first time, with two teams meeting for a regular-season matchup in São Paulo in 2024, the league announced Wednesday.

NFL team owners approved the proposal at the December league meeting in Irving, Texas. The game will be held at Corinthians Arena, home of the SC Corinthians soccer franchise. The venue also was used for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Games.

"Bringing the NFL to new continents, countries and cities around the world is a critical element of our plan to continue to grow the game globally," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a news release.

"Brazil has established itself as a key market for the NFL, and we are excited to be playing in Brazil and São Paulo for the first time in 2024."

With the addition of the South American game, the NFL will have held competitions in five of the seven continents. The league will hold five regular-season games internationally next season, with three in London and one in Munich, in addition to São Paulo.

The NFL said Brazil is its second-largest international fan base, behind Mexico, with 38 million fans.

Specific matchups, dates and kickoff times for the international games will be confirmed when the full 2024 schedule is announced.

The NFL awarded international marketing rights in Brazil to the Miami Dolphins in 2021. That move granted the franchise access for marketing, fan engagement and commercialization in the country.

Previous international meetings mostly featured one or both NFL teams that had media rights in the country hosting the game.

The league plans to expand its international slate in 2025, with up to nine games being contested outside of the United States.