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It was recently learned that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has expressed to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell his interest in the Patriots eventually playing a regular-season game in Scotland after passionate Scotland supporters repeatedly went viral with their antics before and during 2026 FIFA World Cup matches.
On Sunday, Mike Reiss of ESPN shared an update on whether or not it is “realistic” to believe the Patriots could play in Scotland as soon as next year.
Patriots eventually playing a game in Scotland is a “possibility”
“Sources with the NFL said this isn’t an ‘active’ situation, so it would currently fall in the ‘conversation’ phase,” Reiss explained. “The league views the possibility as appealing in the future, especially with Goodell’s stated desire to expand the international schedule beyond the record nine games this season. The NFL continues to look for new markets and key parts of what it vets are a fanbase to support it, a stadium that would be up to or close to NFL standards, and interest from NFL teams to play there. In the case of Scotland, the Patriots have decisively planted their flag in the ground as an intriguing conversation starter.”
Kraft is among NFL team owners who have made it known he wants the league to expand to an 18-game regular-season that could feature the league scheduling each team for one game outside of the United States per campaign. That said, it seems like owners and the NFL Players Association won’t come to an agreement for such a change before 2028 at the earliest.
Per the terms of the collective bargaining agreement that runs through the 2030 season, the NFLPA must agree to expand the regular season. However, one general manager who recently spoke with NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom US suggested that the Patriots may “host” a game in Scotland sooner rather than later.
“Come on, man, we all know that Kraft gets what Kraft wants with this stuff,” the general manager said.
Argentina may also already have a host NFL team
La Canfora also mentioned that Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones “sees fertile untapped potential” in South America and, specifically, in Argentina.
“Owners are already conjuring images of Lionel Messi walking to the field for a coin flip for a game in Argentina with 90,000 people in the stands,” La Canfora added.
In Week 3 of the upcoming season, the Cowboys will face off against the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil. Assuming La Canfora is accurate, the Cowboys could have a home game scheduled in Argentina at some point in the near future.
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