Hello from across the ocean! While the United States is getting ready for the NFL season, the United Kingdom is also throwing a massive American football party. Every year, the NFL packs up its helmets, pads, and the funny-shaped brown ball, and flies across the Atlantic Ocean to play real, regular-season games in the beautiful city of London. For the 2026 season, the NFL International Series in London is bigger, louder, and more exciting than ever before. Let us explore why British fans love American football, how the teams travel, and what makes playing in London so incredibly special!

What is the NFL International Series?

The NFL International Series is exactly what it sounds like: the NFL taking its games to other countries. For a long time, the NFL was only played in the United States. But then, people in other countries started watching the games on television and fell in love with the sport. They loved the big hits, the amazing catches, and the super cool halftime shows. The NFL bosses realized that fans in London were super passionate, so they decided to bring the games to them. Now, every year, several teams get to skip their normal home stadium and play in front of thousands of cheering British fans. It is like having a sleepover at your friend's house instead of your own!

The Magical Stadiums of London

London has some of the most amazing sports buildings in the entire world. The NFL plays its London games in two main places: Wembley Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Wembley is huge! It has a giant arch that you can see from far away, and it holds ninety thousand people. That is like filling a massive city with people just to watch one game! But Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is like something from a science fiction movie. It was built specially to host NFL games. It has a real grass field for soccer, but when it is time for American football, the grass literally rolls away on giant tracks, and a special turf field pops up from underneath! It is pure magic and engineering genius.

The Long Journey and Jet Lag

Playing in London is not easy for the American teams. They have to get on a giant airplane and fly for about seven or eight hours across the ocean. When they land, their bodies are very confused because London is five hours ahead of New York. This is called jet lag. It means when their body wants to sleep, it is actually lunchtime, and when they want to eat dinner, it is the middle of the night! To fix this, teams have special scientists who tell them exactly when to sleep, when to eat, and when to look at bright lights to trick their brains into thinking they are still in America. They also eat special foods and drink lots of water to stay healthy during the long trip.

The Tailgate: A British Twist

In the United States, fans throw tailgate parties in the parking lot, grilling burgers and hot dogs before the game. In London, the fans have their own version of this! They gather in the streets around the stadiums, wearing team jerseys and face paint. But instead of just hot dogs, you will see British fans eating meat pies, sausage rolls, and drinking tea or cold cider. They sing team songs and high-five strangers. The atmosphere in London on an NFL game day is electric. The British fans have learned all the chants and cheers, and they scream just as loudly as the fans back in the States. It is a beautiful mix of American sports and British culture.

Growing the Game for UK Kids

One of the main reasons the NFL plays in London is to inspire children in the UK. When a young British kid sees their favorite NFL players running out of the tunnel at Wembley Stadium, they might decide they want to play football too. The NFL runs special programs in UK schools, giving kids soft foam footballs to throw in the playground. They teach them the rules and how to work as a team. Because of the London games, there are now thousands of kids playing flag football and tackle football in local leagues across England, Scotland, and Wales. The sport is growing roots in British soil!

What to Expect in 2026

For the 2026 season, the NFL has announced a record number of games in London, with multiple doubleheaders where two games are played on the same Sunday! This means fans can eat lunch while watching one game, and then stay in their seats to watch a second game. The teams playing in London are treating it like a mini-vacation. They bring their families, visit famous places like the Tower of London or ride the London Eye, and then go play football. It is a wonderful cultural exchange. The NFL in London proves that football is not just an American game; it is a global language that brings people together, no matter what side of the ocean they live on.