NFL Expands Global Reach With Second Brazil Game in Sao Paulo

By: Manny Shklar

September 23, 2025

Photo Credit: Sports Travel

Friday, September 5th, saw the NFL’s second-ever Brazil game, a matchup in which Justin Herbert led the Los Angeles Chargers to a 27-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. As part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program, the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers represented the league in the first football game in Brazil. Following the success of the 2024 game, both the league and the city of Sao Paulo began discussing a deal to begin playing up to two games there each season for the next four to six years.

While 2024’s game was significantly more entertaining, coming down to a last-second Hail Mary attempt, 2025’s Brazil game still garnered 17.3 million total viewers worldwide, three million more than last year. Herbert tossed three touchdowns, two to former first-round pick Quentin Johnston, while Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes managed to stay in the game despite missing his top two wide receivers to suspension and injury.

Prior to last season’s game, there were tons of safety concerns floating around teams, players, and fanbases alike. Disputes around the color green were prominent, as it had promoted violence in the area in the past. Players such as AJ Brown and Darius Slay were quoted discussing the matter, with Brown referencing meetings about things the teams were told to avoid, such as carrying phones, and Slay speaking about how he told his family they should not come to the game. Despite the warnings, the NFL carried on with the game and saw success. Of course, people were tuning in for a multitude of reasons - it was the only game on, Saquon Barkley was playing in his debut game with the Eagles, and both teams had playoff aspirations. All this combined to generate 14.2 million viewers and $61 million in economic impact for Brazil.

The league decided to go for an encore, taking it a step further by sending division rivals to Sao Paulo this year. Competing for the AFC West title, the Chiefs vs. Chargers matchup was guaranteed to be popular. It’s surely also not coincidental that Travis Kelce was involved in the game, given the popularity of his fiancée, Taylor Swift, around Brazil.

Ultimately, the NFL is a business, and expanding internationally has been a crucial decision for them. Multiple games a year happen now in Germany, London, Mexico City, and more, each getting a special time slot to bring in more viewers. This year’s Friday night football game was not the first, and certainly won’t be the last at the rate the league is moving.