Despite Issues in Brazil, NFL Planning Major Increase in International Games

In the days leading up to the National Football League playing the first professional American football game in soccer-crazy Brazil when the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Green Bay Packers in Sao Paulo, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell teased plans to make his league even more international than it already is.

Speaking before the Eagles and Packers face off on Friday night in Brazil, which has an estimated 38 million fans of American football, Goodell said the league views Friday's game is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the NFL’s global push.

"This is sort of like the spark that just creates the fire," Goodell said on ESPN'sPat McAfee Show. "We really are focused on becoming a global game."

The NFL, which has already played in England, Germany and Mexico and is slated to expand its International Series to Spain next season, currently has the ability to schedule up to eight international games per year. According to Goodell, that number will be going up soon.

“We want the world to know we’re coming, that we’re bringing football,” Goodell said. “Our clubs have agreed to play up to eight regular-season games. We have expectations that will go well beyond that. We think we’ll be seven next year, we’re already going to Spain next year, we’ll be back in Mexico I hope by next year, so we’re really excited where the future is for us on an international basis.”

With international games scheduled in London and Munich this season, Goodell said there's another destination across the pond that's already on the NFL's radar. "Ireland is definitely on the watch list for an NFL game, and I would expect that we'll get over there," he said.

Before that happens, Eagles-Packers will need to take place and Goodell has to be hoping the game will go off without a hitch despite a variety of security concerns and complaints from players about having to travel and then essentially be confined to their hotel upon arrival.

As for the game itself, it'll air on Peacock and could potentially have some major playoff seeding ramifications in the NFC despite taking place in Week 1 as both the Eagles and Packers have Super Bowl aspirations.

In addition to being the first regular-season NFL game in South America, Eagles-Packers marks the first time the NFL has played a Friday night game on the season’s opening weekend since September of 1970.