New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has reportedly expressed interest to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about playing a regular-season game in Scotland, according to the Boston Globe. The conversation comes after the Tartan Army, Scotland's football supporters, won over Boston during a two-week stay for the 2026 World Cup.
Scotland Fans Praised in Boston
The Tartan Army received widespread praise from Bostonians for bringing joy to the city. Boston officially twinned with Glasgow, and Mayor Michelle Wu placed a traffic cone atop a statue in honor of the fans' antics. Thousands of Scots attended matches against Haiti and Morocco at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots' home ground.
Potential First NFL Game in Scotland
Scotland has never hosted an NFL game, but it was home to the Scottish Claymores, a franchise in the World League of American Football from 1995 to 2004, playing at Murrayfield Stadium and Hampden Park. Kraft, instrumental in bringing the World Cup to North America, has now planted the seed for the Patriots to play in what would be Scotland's first NFL match.
NFL International Expansion
The NFL plays several international games each year, with a record nine scheduled for 2026 in Australia, Brazil, France, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain. The number is expected to rise to 10 or 11 in 2027. Goodell has expressed a goal of 16 international games per year, making a game in Scotland plausible.
Speaking in February, Goodell said: “That’s an important mark to shoot for and I think we’re on our way. It’s the ambition we have to be a global sport, but it’s also the demand we’re having. We’re hearing from cities that want to host these games and really want to get more American football.”
Currently, the number of international games is capped at 10 under the collective bargaining agreement, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are set to play two games in London this year, bringing the total to 11.
