NFL Confirms Return to Brazil for 2025 Regular Season Game in São Paulo
The NFL is heading back to Brazil for the second straight year, continuing its push to expand the league’s global footprint. São Paulo will once again host a regular-season game during the opening week of the 2025 season, with the Los Angeles Chargers serving as the designated home team. The matchup is scheduled for Friday, September 5, one day after the league’s traditional season opener in the United States. The Chargers’ opponent will be announced later.
The game will be held at Corinthians Arena, a venue familiar to both Brazilian sports fans and the NFL. The stadium, known for hosting key matches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, made history in 2024 by becoming the site of the first-ever NFL regular-season game in South America. That event was widely viewed as a success, drawing a passionate crowd and showcasing the growing appetite for American football in Brazil.
NFL Brazil General Manager Luis Martinez expressed excitement about the league’s return:
“After a successful and memorable first game in Brazil in 2024, we are delighted to confirm the league’s return to São Paulo. Having the Chargers as the designated team marks an exciting next chapter in this growing market.”
The decision to return to São Paulo reflects the NFL’s broader strategy to grow the sport internationally. Starting in 2025, the league will have the flexibility to schedule up to eight international regular-season games per year, expanding its reach to new audiences. The NFL has already announced five other international games for 2025, including three in London and one each in Berlin, Madrid, and Dublin.
Additionally, the league made headlines earlier this year by revealing plans to stage its first-ever game in Australia in 2026, further underlining its ambitions to become a truly global sport.
To date, the NFL has held 55 regular-season games outside the United States, with cities like London, Munich, Frankfurt, Mexico City, Toronto, and São Paulo all playing host. Each event has drawn enthusiastic local crowds, proving that the appetite for American football extends far beyond U.S. borders.
For the Chargers, the trip to São Paulo offers a unique opportunity to showcase their star players on an international stage. The team is known for its high-powered offense, led by quarterback Justin Herbert, and is expected to draw a strong following in Brazil as the NFL’s presence in the country grows.
With fans eagerly awaiting the announcement of the Chargers’ opponent, excitement is already building for what promises to be another landmark event in the NFL’s ongoing global journey.
