Goodell makes his most definitive comments yet on a full-time international NFL team

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has long spoken about the league's global ambitions, but his latest remarks represent the clearest signal yet that a franchise permanently based outside the United States is no longer a matter of if, but when.

Goodell's comments, reported by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, went further than his past statements about the growth of the international series. The league already plays a growing slate of regular-season games abroad each year, and the commissioner has previously called a team outside the U.S. "inevitable" — but the new tone was described as the most definitive he has offered to date.

To take the temperature of the league, ESPN asked NFL executives to identify the most likely non-U.S. cities to land a team and explain why. The short list centered on four markets with very different profiles and obstacles.

London remains the perennial favorite given the league's long history there, though stadium questions persist. Mexico City drew praise for manageable travel — one NFC executive called it the ideal spot because "trying to start from scratch would be too complicated" — and a massive population that makes the financial case easy. Toronto, just 98 miles from Buffalo, was pitched as a "major market, easy logistics" option by an AFC executive, though it would likely need a new stadium and risks overlapping with the Bills' Canadian fanbase. Berlin, new to the rotation, was cited for strong German football interest and a sold-out, loud debut game.

Each candidate carries trade-offs: travel burden, stadium readiness, and local infrastructure all factor into whether a market could actually sustain a full-time franchise. The execs were candid that starting from scratch in an unproven city would be daunting.

Goodell has not named a timeline or a city, and any permanent move would require ownership approval and years of logistical groundwork. But the direction of his comments, paired with the league's expanding international schedule, signals the conversation has shifted from speculation toward planning.