Could NFL play at new Man Utd stadium? 'Spurs is home - but we're open to conversations'

NFL UK general manager Henry Hodgson says the league is open to exploring opportunities to play in other stadiums across the country as it continues its global expansion with a historic international slate of games. 

The league will host three more regular-season games across Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley Stadium in the 2025 season to take the tally of London match-ups to 42 since 2007.

Such has been the sport's ascent on this side of the pond, there is an increasing appetite to enhance the game's presence beyond the capital, including the prospect of games.

Football is living in historic times as it gears up for seven international games in 2025. Could Manchester United's proposed £2bn, 100,000 capacity stadium emerge as an option down the line?

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"For now we have a partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, that's the home of the NFL in the UK, it's a fantastic stadium," Hodgson told Sky Sports. "I would make the argument that it's one of the top five stadiums in the NFL, regardless of where it's actually based.

"Would we look at other options? I think we'd certainly be open to those conversations. I'm very keen to make sure that we're taking the sport across the country.

"This year we have a kick-off event that's taking place in Manchester. We've got a tour going to Birmingham and to Bristol and to Cardiff. So we want to make sure that the NFL isn't seen as a London sport where we go and play games.

"We know that there are fans across the UK and we want to serve those fans across the UK. Somewhere down the road, if there are conversations to be had about that stadium or frankly any other new stadiums in the UK, we're certainly open to having those discussions. Again, for the same reason, to see how we can bring more NFL to more new people."

Tottenham has emerged as the official home of the NFL in the UK having become the first purpose-built NFL stadium outside of the United States.

Hodgson attributes its success to a long-term 'vision' of Tottenham Hotspur in accommodating the league, though accepts it can be a "case-by-case" basis regarding other prospective host stadiums.

"You look at the partnership we have in Tottenham, I think one of the reasons that I believe that stadium is so good is that that partnership happened long before the stadium itself started being built," Hodgson added.

"So it came with that as a real central part of their project. That was the vision of Daniel Levy and of Tottenham, as well as the NFL. So you'd think that that would lead people to, you know, if you were going to do it, that would be the way to go. But I'm sure different people would approach it in different ways."

Next up... Paris?

The NFL, meanwhile, remains committed to expanding its global reach, and earlier this year announced its first game in Australia at the iconic MCG.

Germany is currently gearing up for its fifth regular-season game when Berlin follows in the footsteps of Frankfurt and Munich as a host city this year, while Madrid and Dublin enter as new territories.

A trip to France could also be on the horizon next.

"Paris is certainly one of the cities we've looked at," said Hodgson. "Everyone knows that the NFL continues to look around the world at cities that we could play games in and do that in a really considered way.

"We want to make sure that when we go and play a game, wherever it might be in the world, it's not simply for the sake of playing a game, but for growing a fanbase for the long term.

"And France certainly has a big fanbase of NFL fans existing, so Paris would lend itself as a city for us to play a game in.

"We continue to examine the opportunity to do that. And I would expect that it will happen. I think it's just a question of when. But there are a number of other cities around the world that we're looking at as well."

Historic times in the NFL

Dublin's iconic Croke Park will welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings on Sunday September 28, before the latter stick around to face the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham the next week.

The Denver Broncos then take on the New York Jets at Tottenham followed by the Los Angeles Rams against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley, before the Indianapolis Colts host the Atlanta Falcons at the Olympiastadion and the Washington Commanders meet the Miami Dolphins at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid.

"It's an incredibly exciting year because we're playing in three new cities around the world in Madrid and in Dublin and Berlin," said Hodgson.

"I think for each of those there's going to be a very different atmosphere, a new set of fans who are going to get the opportunity to experience an NFL game for the very first time and a new city that's going to kind of have its own take on how to embrace the NFL.

"And then on top of that, obviously we've got games in London where the first game will be the 40th so you've got this established city.

"But I think both Dublin and Madrid are going to be really exciting, really fun, different events. Dublin, in particular, a city that really lends itself to these kind of big events and I think you're going to see the whole of Dublin overtaken by NFL fans over the weekend."

The Philadelphia Eagles return as defending Super Bowl champions after dethroning the Kansas City Chiefs in a 40-22 victory in New Orleans in February, denying Andy Reid's side a third straight championship.

Josh Allen's Buffalo Bills and Lamar Jackson's Baltimore Ravens resume their pursuit of a Super Bowl berth in the face of Kansas City's monopoly on the AFC, while Jayden Daniels leads a new era for the Washington Commanders. The Detroit Lions loom as one of the league's most prolific offenses as the Minnesota Vikings seek to maximise a Championship-calibre roster, while Micah Parsons prepares to alter the NFC entirely after his blockbuster trade to the Green Bay Packers.

"I think the NFL's in a fantastic period of really creating some very established, very fun rivalries," said Hodgson. "You look at the AFC and you've had that sort of Chiefs, Bills, Ravens triumvirate over the last few years and who's going to get there, are the Bills and Ravens finally going to get over the hump?

"I think equally with the Chiefs, even more in the spotlight given some of the recent cultural news around the NFL as well.

"You've got a lot of teams that there are question marks around but could really come up and be very exciting. Washington Commanders last year, for a few people, sort of came out of nowhere, that was exciting.

"You've got the Lions who everyone seemed to be rooting for if they weren't an Eagles fan going into the postseason. You've got the 49ers who had a bit of a down year but maybe can bounce back and then across all of it the NFL throws up those surprises."

The 2025 season kicks off on Thursday night when the champion Eagles face the Dallas Cowboys, live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.20am in the early hours of Friday.

Watch the 2025 NFL season live on Sky Sports, including every London and European game as well as every minute of the playoffs and Super Bowl LX; Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.