Roger Goodell: NFL plans “well beyond” eight international games a year in the future

Last year NFL owners approved playing up to eight international games a year, but the league isn’t stopping there.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in an interview with Pat McAfee that the league expects to continue opening new international markets and putting more games in the countries where the NFL is growing its fan base.

“We want the world to know we’re coming, that we’re bringing football,” Goodell said. “Our clubs have agreed to play up to eight regular-season games. We have expectations that will go well beyond that. We think we’ll be seven next year, we’re already going to Spain next year, we’ll be back in Mexico I hope by next year, so we’re really excited where the future is for us on an international basis.”

The NFL will play its first game in Brazil on Friday night, and bringing a game to at least one new country a year seems to be the plan, along with multiple games every year in the United Kingdom. Goodell says the league sees no sign of international interest slowing down.

“Every time we’ve done this,” Goodell said, “they want more.”