The NFL revealed its international schedule for the 2025 season a few days ago, which features seven games spanning five countries total. The league continues to look into spreading its influence across the globe, hoping to strengthen its already growing international fanbase. Just last year, the league made history by having their first ever regular season game in South America, where the Packers faced the eventual super bowl champ Eagles in São Paulo, and the expansion will continue when the city of Madrid will welcome the NFL to play its first ever regular season game in Spain. With this emphasis on garnering more interest internationally, it would make sense that the league would try its best to fit some good matches in the schedule, but on paper some don’t seem as appealing as others. Today we’ll be ranking these international games in their potential entertainment value as well as talk about some interesting matchups in them and see which ones are more deserving of being shown to the crowd outside of the US.
7: Minnesota Vikings vs Cleveland Browns in London
Credit Bruce Kluckhohn
Marking the 40th NFL game played in London, the Cleveland Browns will look to battle against the Minnesota Vikings in a week five showdown at Tottenham Hotspur stadium. The Vikings will once more go across the pond after their victory against the Aaron Rodgers led Jets in week 5 of the 2024 season, while the Browns return to England for the first time since 2017 where they were thwarted by Minnesota in a 33-17 affair where Deshone Kizer and Case Keenum were still the men under center for these two teams. While the starting quarterback is not yet known between the four men currently competing for the job, whoever it is will face a ferocious Minnesota defense that averaged 2.53 seconds to pressure the signal caller and a league top 40.6 blitz rate in 2024. On the other side, Vikings first time starter JJ McCarthy will have already shown some hints as to whether or not he can be the long time starter for the purple and yellow by the time of the game, he, alongside superstar receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison will look to get the ball out quickly with Cleveland’s four man front which generated a 40 percent pressure rate without blitzing.
Notable matchups:
CB Denzel Ward vs WR Justin Jefferson/WR Jordan Addison
One of the best DBs in the league will be tested against either arguably the best wide receiver currently in the game or his teammate who’s proven to be a very capable number two. The last time Ward and Jefferson met the wide receiver had six receptions for 84 yards and the team’s only touchdown, with Ward having 4 total tackles and a pass defensed.
LT Christian Darrisaw vs DE Myles Garret
The 2023 defensive player of the year who recently signed a 4 year 160 million dollar contract will face the Vikings’ star left tackle who’s coming back from an injury he sustained in 2024 for the first time ever, and will try to recreate his 2021 performance against Minnesota when he hit then QB Kirk Cousins four times.
While Cleveland’s defense could startle the young McCarthy and bring some life to the team, the Browns offense which struggled mightily in 2024 will most likely find it difficult to overcome the Vikings defense especially with their quarterback concerns. I see this game as the most likely one to be a blowout, and I expect the Vikings to dominate with their much improved offensive line and strong defense that added Jonathan Allen.
6: Minnesota Vikings vs Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin
Credit Jeffrey Baker
Marking the first time the league has ever played a regular season game in Ireland, the Minnesota Vikings will also be making history as the first team to play two international games in different countries when they face another AFC North team in the Pittsburgh Steelers at Croke Park. While the trip from London to Dublin won’t be difficult, the Steelers are always a challenge under the longest-tenured head coach in the four major North American sports Mike Tomlin, who is entering his nineteenth season and hoping to maintain his streak of no losing seasons during his time as head coach. Much like the AFC North team that the purple people eaters will face prior to Pittsburgh, the quarterback situation surrounding the Steelers is still a bit of an unknown, while most believe former Packer and Jet Aaron Rodgers will eventually sign with the black and gold, the Steelers have made it clear that Mason Rudolph being the starter is not out of the realm of possibilities. The Vikings will look to establish another dominant game against Pittsburgh, hoping to recreate their 2021 performance where they led 29 to 0 in the third quarter of a one-sided affair.
Notable Matchups:
Vikings O-line vs Steelers D-line
The Steelers defensive line oozes with talent, with Cam Heyward and TJ Watt being the biggest stars on a dominant line, they will be facing a completely revamped Minnesota interior offensive line that has Ryan Kelly, Will Fries and rookie Donovan Jackson and the tackle tandem of Christian Darrisaw alongside Brian O’Neil. Pressuring the young JJ McCarthy before he can get to his elite receiving duo and stopping Aaron Jones will be crucial for the Steelers to succeed.
Much like the Browns, the Steelers defense will be their strong point, but the offense needs to have a good day against the Viking defense for there to even be a chance of winning the game. If Aaron Rodgers does finally sign with Pittsburgh, his former divisional rival Minnesota will be looking forward to it after intercepting the 40 year old qb three times the last time they met on international grounds.
5: Los Angeles Rams vs Jacksonville Jaguars in London
Credit Gary A. Vasquez
The Jaguars will play their annual game across the pond on October nineteenth, marking the eleventh time the team has played in England. They and their rookie GM James Gladstone will be hosting the LA Rams and the GM who Gladstone worked with as director of scouting Les Snead in Wembley Stadium. The Jaguars and their expensive acquisition Travis Hunter are hoping to finally get franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence back on track to recreate his 2022 season performance, but it’s going to be difficult for Liam Coen and the offense with the young and hungry defensive line of the rams, which had rookies Jared Verse and FSU teammate Braden Fiske alongside second year players Kobie Turner and Byron Young combine for 28.5 sacks in 2025. Meanwhile Matthew Stafford and Kyren Williams are going to be facing a Jaguars defense that was one of the worst in the NFL in both rush yards and passing yards allowed.
Notable Matchups:
WR Davante Adams and WR Puka Nacua vs Jaguars Secondary
Newly acquired Rams wide receiver Davante Adams will try to dismantle the Jaguars secondary like he did in a Jets uniform in week 16 of the 2024 season where he had 198 yards and two touchdowns against duval. Tyson Campbell alongside the rest of the Jaguars secondary will have to account for not just him but Puka Nacua as well in order to have a chance of winning this game.
The most interesting and possibly biggest deciding factor of this game in my opinion will be when the Jaguars offense faces the Rams defense. While not outright terrible, the Jags offensive line was not the team’s biggest strength in 2024 with them having a 27.5 percent pressure rate allowed, and the same could be said for the Rams DB room which allowed an average of 223.1 yards in the air. At the same time, the Jacksonville wide receiver room with already proven Brian Thomas Jr. and rookie out of Colorado Travis Hunter who Liam Coen said will be playing a good amount of receiver will be the ones facing that Rams secondary, while the second highest pressure allowing offensive line will be facing LA’s fierce four man rush.
4: Atlanta Falcons vs Indianapolis Colts in Berlin
Credit AJ Reynolds
The Falcons and Colts will meet in Berlin for the NFL’s fifth game in Germany and the first in the country’s capital. The two organizations have more in common than one would first assume, with both finishing with an 8-9 record and second in their respective notoriously terrible divisions, and front office groups that could be gone by the end of this season if they fail to improve upon their recent mediocrity. The Falcons and now full-time starting QB Michael Penix Jr. will face an Indianapolis Colts defense that allowed 361.2 yards per game on average and added Cam Bynum alongside Charvarius Ward to bolster their secondary, while the Falcons defense will try and account for the Colts’ new toy Tyler Warren alongside Josh Downs, Michael Pittman Jr and Alec Pierce who will be catching balls from a hopefully better developed Anthony Richardson.
Notable Matchups:
WR Drake London vs CB Charvarius Ward
Michael Penix will be targeting Falcons fourth year man Drake London a lot In the upcoming season, in just three games with his new QB, London was targeted 39 times for 352 yards. He will most likely get some matchups against newly acquired Ward who signed a 3 year deal worth up to 60 million dollars.
RB Bijan Robinson vs LB Zaire Franklin
Atlanta should be heavily utilizing their running game and giving their 1456 yard rusher the ball as much as possible in this game, he will be met many times by the 2024 tackling leader in Zaire Franklin.
The two teams were average or even slightly below average in 2024, but with their acquisitions through free agency and the draft they improved upon many of their holes, namely the Colts improving their secondary and the Falcons drafting two defensive ends in the first draft, albeit at a high cost. If Anthony Richardson shows improvement and Michael Penix Jr. really proves himself as the franchise’s man under center this could be a very fun affair.
3: Denver Broncos vs New York Jets in London
Credit Robert Deutsch
The Jets are going to be entering a rebuilding and evaluation year this season where they will give former first round pick Justin Fields a chance at becoming their long term answer at signal caller after the Aaron Rodgers “era” didn’t work out as planned. They will be facing a team which has also suffered unmet expectations after acquiring an elite veteran quarterback in the Denver Broncos, who seem to have fully bounced back after chef Russel Wilson struggled to cook. The Jets are hoping to recreate Denver’s resurgence after Bo Nix and their opportunistic defense led the team to a 10-7 record and the franchise’s first playoff game since their super bowl winning season in 2015. The two teams have faced each other every year for the past two seasons and have won once each, making their meeting in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium the third game in a row where they will meet.
Notable Matchups:
WR Courtland Sutton vs CB Sauce Gardner
The 29 year old Sutton will eventually line up against the Jets’ young star CB. In the last time Sutton faced the Jets he scored the team’s only touchdown and had 60 yards on three receptions, he is as of now the best receiver on the team and it will be paramount for him to get the ball.
DT Quinnen Williams vs LG Ben Powers
Quinnen Williams has been a staple on the Jets’ defensive line since he was drafted in 2019, he’ll be lined up against left guard Ben Powers for most of the game and will be eyed by the Broncos after his 7 tackle 2 tfl performance from the last time the two teams met.
While these two organizations are at different points in terms of reaching their ceiling, I can see this being an entertaining game if the Jets defense maximizes its talent under new head coach Aaron Glenn and if Justin Fields does well against the formidable Denver D.
2: Washington Commanders vs Miami Dolphins in Madrid
Credit Sam Navarro
The Commanders and Dolphins will be another pair of teams that will make history this season as they’ll become the first to ever play an NFL regular season game in Spain. The Commanders will hope to repeat a successful first season for their rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and build upon an impressive playoff run that ended against the eventual super bowl champion Eagles. Meanwhile the Dolphins are entering a very critical season when it comes to evaluating their identity, as they struggled the previous season and did not have the same level of offensive firepower as they did in 2023. Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins offense will be facing a unit which ranked third in terms of stopping the pass with them allowing an average of just 189.6 yards a game, however their run defense struggled mightily with them allowing an average of 137.1 yards on the ground, while they hope the addition of veteran Javon Kinlaw will help with that, the Dolphins will be sure to give De’Von Achane as many carries as possible.
Notable Matchups:
Dolphins Receivers vs Commanders Defensive Backs-
The Dolphins’ group of pass catchers is a force to be reckoned with. Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill continue to be one of the best receiving duos in the game, and last year’s addition of Jonnu Smith who had a career year with Miami alongside this year’s free agent signing Nick Westbrook-Ikhine will make sure that Washington’s defensive secondary will have their hands full.
The offensive firepower of these teams could make for a very fun matchup. Jayden Daniels in his second season with new additions in tackle Josh Conorly Jr and receiver Deebo Samuel can make this great offense even better, while the Dolphins upgraded on their defense and brought in some more help to their receiving core.
1: Kansas City Chiefs vs Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo
Credit Tammy Ljungblad
Much like last season when the Green Bay Packers played against the Philadelphia Eagles, the NFL will hold a week 1 showdown in Brazil, this time with a divisional rivalry game. The Kansas City Chiefs will begin their revenge tour against their hated rival Chargers, and will hope to claim their crown as division champs for the 10th year in a row, proving that no matter how much the teams around them improve they are still the top dog. Meanwhile, the Chargers also finished last season with a vile taste in their mouth when the Houston Texans kicked them out of the playoffs in a 32 to 12 affair where Justin Herbert threw a career high four interceptions. LA has yet to beat their division rivals again ever since a 30 to 24 ballgame where the Chargers beat the current NFL dynasty in September of 2021. Mahomes will have some much needed tackle help with Ohio State’s Josh Simmons falling to them at pick 32, and the Chargers will hopefully improve upon an already good rushing attack with additions in running backs Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton alongside guard Mekhi Becton.
Notable matchups:
DT Chris Jones vs RG Mekhi Becton
Newly acquired guard Mekhi Becton will face his first big challenge of the season in Chiefs DT Chris Jones. Becton already proved himself very capable of stopping the Chiefs great after taking care of business in the super bowl against Kansas City, where Jones was not able to record a stat other than a single QB hit.
The Chargers and Chiefs will be one of the better divisional matchups in the NFL this season and under head coach Jim Harbaugh LA has kept it close against Andy Reid’s Cheifs. I expect this to be no different and for it to be an exciting week one matchup that might even tip in the Chargers’ favour.
