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07/02/2025

The NFL comes to Croke Park

The National Football League will play its first-ever regular season game in Dublin, Ireland in 2025 as the league continues to expand its global footprint and take the game to new audiences around the world.

The 2025 NFL Dublin game will take place at Croke Park — the largest sporting arena in Ireland and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) — in partnership with the Government of Ireland and Dublin City Council (Dublin City).

The Pittsburgh Steelers will play as the designated team for the historic first game. Steelers’ president Art Rooney II and his family have a rich history and deep connection with the island of Ireland, having family from Newry, County Down. The late Dan M. Rooney, Art Rooney’s father, served as U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 2009-2012 and was a co-founder of the Ireland Funds charity.

The Steelers are also one of only two NFL teams to have played a game in Ireland to date, a preseason matchup in 1997 against the Chicago Bears at Croke Park as part of the American Bowl series.

“We are delighted to officially bring a regular season NFL game to Ireland as part of our 2025 International Games slate,” said Executive Vice President International, League Events and Club Business at the NFL Peter O'Reilly. “Both the NFL and the Steelers franchise have deep roots and history in Ireland, and we’re looking forward to making our regular-season debut in Dublin, bringing our game to a large and passionate Irish fan base and underlining the NFL’s commitment to global growth.”

“We are very excited to be the designated team in the first regular season game to be played in Ireland this upcoming season,” said Steelers’ President Art Rooney II. “The opportunity for the Pittsburgh Steelers to play in Ireland is truly special, not only because of the Rooney family history there, but also to play in front of the growing number of Steelers fans in Ireland. We are thrilled to be part of this historic event to represent Pittsburgh in a game that brings the NFL to the great sports fans in Ireland.”

“This is a major vote of confidence in Ireland’s ability to host world class events and in Dublin’s reputation as one of the most welcoming cities in the world,” said Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport Patrick O’Donovan TD. “Hosting a regular season NFL game in 2025 will have huge benefits for Irish tourism, the wider economy and our sports ecosystem. It will also build upon the deep cultural, family and economic ties between Ireland and the United States. I look forward to welcoming thousands of American football fans from the U.S., Europe and further afield to our shores for this historic game, and also to the ongoing collaboration with the NFL, Sport Ireland and American Football Ireland to grow American football participation in Ireland, both the tackle and flag format of the game, as part of the government’s commitment to increasing the number of people regularly participating in sport and physical activity.”

“Ireland has already established itself as a key overseas home for American college football with the established success of the annual College Classic every August” said Minister of State for Sport Charlie McConalogue. “Bringing the NFL to Dublin is a logical and natural next step and builds on the growing engagement among Irish sports fans with all forms of American football. It also builds on the deep relationships between Ireland and the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Rooney family, and I hope that the Rooneys and the Steelers Nation will feel like they’re coming home when they arrive in Ireland.”

Croke Park has played host to many iconic sporting moments. . It is the home of the GAA and hosts the Gaelic football and hurling All-Ireland finals every year, in 2003 it held the Special Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies and in 1996 it held the college football game between Notre Dame and the Navy. In addition to its sporting heritage, the venue has welcomed global music icons including U2, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay and Taylor Swift.

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome the NFL and the Pittsburgh Steelers to Croke Park,” said GAA President, Jarlath Burns. “This event will not only highlight our stadium's world-class facilities but also reinforce the connections and love of sport shared between our communities. Croke Park is a proud symbol of Ireland’s rich sporting heritage, and hosting one of the world’s best sporting organisations is a momentous occasion for the entire country. It will be a special and unique event, celebrating the passion uniting two great sporting codes in the heart of Dublin.”

The full matchup including opposition, date and kickoff time will be announced when the 2025 NFL schedule is revealed this spring.

Fans can register for information around the 2025 NFL Dublin game here: www.nfl.com/dublin

The NFL will host the first official Super Bowl LIX watch party in Dublin city centre on Sunday February 9, 2025. The venue will be transformed into a stateside-style hub, complete with immersive entertainment and refreshments. To secure tickets and for more information visit here.

In addition to the NFL International Games, the league is committed to growing the game at every level on the Island of Ireland, engaging with fans year-round through partners, programs and initiatives.

The NFL’s Global Market Program (GMP), which awards teams marketing rights in international markets to grow fandom, commercial opportunities and brand awareness, sees three teams active in the Irish market – the Steelers, the New York Jets and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The league’s official youth flag football program, NFL Flag, was launched in Ireland in 2024 in partnership with American Football Ireland (AFI). In the first-ever NFL Flag National Championships, Green Lanes School from Dublin were crowned champions and traveled to the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, Florida last week to represent Ireland in the International Championships, showcasing the league’s efforts to increase participation and inspire the next generation.

Beginning in 2025, the NFL can schedule up to eight league-operated regular season games internationally.

The NFL will play two regular season games in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — the only purpose-built NFL stadium outside of the U.S. — featuring the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns as designated teams.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will also return to Wembley Stadium in London to operate a home game, their 14th in the city, as part of their multi-year commitment to playing a game in the U.K.

The league will also host one game in Berlin, Germany at the Olympic Stadium Berlin, with the Indianapolis Colts as the designated team and one game in Madrid, Spain at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium – Home to Real Madrid C.F., featuring the Miami Dolphins.

This week at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, the NFL also announced its first regular season game for the 2026 season, in Melbourne, Australia. The Los Angeles Rams will be the designated team for this historic game at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Fifty-five regular season NFL games have been played around the world throughout the league's history, with London, Munich, Frankfurt, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto all hosting games to date

The Steelers have previously played in one regular season game internationally in London in 2013, at Wembley Stadium.

For more details on the 2025 NFL Dublin Game, visit: nfl.com/dublin

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