As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, attention isn’t just on the teams and players, it’s also on the stadiums that will host the matches. Many of these venues in the United States are famous for the NFL, but in recent years, the league has brought its games to soccer stadiums around the world, showing how these historic venues can blend soccer tradition with the excitement of American football.
Soccer stadiums that have opened their doors to the NFL
The first major moment came in Mexico when Estadio Azteca in Mexico City hosted its first regular-season NFL game outside the United States in 2005, a matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers that proved a soccer stadium could adapt to the intensity of the NFL.
In Europe, the story continued with Wembley Stadium in London, which hosted the New York Giants versus Miami Dolphins in 2007.
Germany joined the tradition as well. Allianz Arena in Munich welcomed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks in 2022, while Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt hosted the Kansas City Chiefs against the Miami Dolphins in 2023, highlighting the versatility of European stadiums for American football.
South America had its moment in 2024 when Arena Corinthians in São Paulo hosted the Philadelphia Eagles versus the Green Bay Packers. In Spain, Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid made history in 2025 by welcoming the Miami Dolphins against the Washington Commanders, solidifying Europe as a key continent in the NFL’s international expansion.
Over the years, these stadiums have shown that NFL excitement can coexist with soccer history, offering fans unique experiences. With the 2026 World Cup just around the corner, many of these legendary venues will once again demonstrate that sport knows no borders or limits.
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