The NFL is continuing its quest to expand its footprint in Europe, with a regular season game coming to Ireland for the first time in 2025.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been designated the home team for the game. The storied franchise’s owner Art Rooney II has family ties to the Emerald Isle, including family from County Down. Rooney’s father, Dan Rooney, was a United States ambassador to Ireland for four years from 2009-12.
The game will be played at Croke Park, the national stadium of Ireland.
Dublin will join London, Berlin and Madrid as part of the NFL’s 2025 International Series. Melbourne, Australia will host a game for the first time in 2026.
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Who is playing in Ireland in 2025?
The Pittsburgh Steelers will be the designated home team for 2025’s game in Ireland, with an opponent yet to be determined.
‘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, per NFL.com. ‘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.’
The Steelers’ expansive fanbase and deep NFL legacy make them an easy pick for international games, as a franchise that has fans all over the country rather than concentrated in Pittsburgh.
Ireland football history
Ireland was a natural landing destination for the NFL, as the sport has a history there.
While this will be the first regular season NFL game played there, the Steelers did play a preseason game at Croke Park against the Chicago Bears in 1997. It was part of the American Bowl Series, and the Steelers won 30-17.
While the NFL’s ledger in Ireland may be short, college football has become a mainstay in Hibernia. The Aer Lingus College Football Classic has been played at Aviva Stadium annually since 2022, and will feature Farmageddon (Kansas State vs Iowa State) in 2025 before taking a hiatus in 2026 and returning in 2027 with Pitt vs Wisconsin. In all, nine college games have been played in Ireland since 1988, with Notre Dame and Navy playing each other in a third of those matchups.
Where are NFL International Series games in 2025?
Croke Park is the latest stadium to get announced for the 2025 season, joining several other stadiums in Europe.
The full international slate is not yet announced, but confirmed hosts (and teams confirmed) include:
- Berlin, Germany (Olympic Stadium; Indianapolis Colts)
- London, England (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; New York Jets, Cleveland Browns)
- London, England (Wembley Stadium; Jacksonville Jaguars)
- Madrid, Spain (Bernabéu Stadium; Miami Dolphins)
- Dublin, Ireland (Croke Park; Pittsburgh Steelers)
Mexico City remains a question mark as the city continues its renovations on Estadio Azteca in preparation for the 2026 World Cup, per the Sports Business Journal. The league could end up with up to eight games played internationally in 2025, with the announcement of Ireland marking the fifth one to be confirmed.
When will the NFL schedule be released?
The NFL continues to drip-feed fans its 2025 schedule in order to build anticipation for its International Series, but there are still plenty of question marks.
Ireland, for example, is the latest announced international date, but others are possible.
The NFL’s schedule release, like most bookkeeping NFL items, has become a small event in and of itself. It will be released in full sometime in the spring, with a definitive date not yet set. While every team knows its 2025 opponents, it does not yet know where on the calendar they will fall. The Ireland game, likewise, will be announced at a later date.
