The NFL will host its first regular-season game in Dublin in 2025, it was confirmed today.
What will be one of the largest international sporting events to ever take place on the island of Ireland will be held in Croke Park in September, with the Pittsburgh Steelers the designated home team.
The opposition will be revealed at a later date, but with the Steelers opponents for home games already known, it will be one of the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts or Seattle Seahawks.
The announcement was made this afternoon in New Orleans, ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Irish Government told RTÉ Sport that it has committed to providing just short of €10 million in state funding for the event - to cover a licence fee, security, transport and other costs around the venue - following "extensive discussions and negotiations with the NFL, which included a comprehensive assessment of costs and benefits".
Charlie McConalogue TD, Minister of State for Sport - speaking from Louisiana - said the deal was "very significant, and I think it's going to be of real benefit to the economy."
"It's something that provides real opportunity for the future too, in terms of having future games should this work out successfully, which we're all very confident that it will do."
The Government is anticipating 30,000 international visitors, a €64m boost in economic activity and significant tax returns to the exchequer. It expects the NFL to spend €14-18m, mostly in the Irish economy, on staging the game here.
NFL executive vice-president Peter O'Reilly said that "the game will be delivered in partnership with the Irish government" and that "We are very grateful for their partnership and support of this historic game."
GAA President, Jarlath Burns said: "We are absolutely delighted to welcome the NFL and the Pittsburgh Steelers to Croke Park. This event will not only highlight our stadium's world-class facilities but also reinforce the connections and love of sport shared between our communities."
The NFL will host its first regular-season game in Dublin in 2025, with the Pittsburgh Steelers taking on an, as yet, unknown team. Dave Kelly reports. pic.twitter.com/CYJd84wqNg
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 7, 2025
The Steelers were awarded marketing rights to expand team activities to the island of Ireland in 2023. Two sold-out watch parties at the Hogan Suite in Croke Park followed, along with various other events across the island of Ireland in this time.
The Rooney family, who own the Pittsburgh Steelers, have ancestral links to Newry in County Down, and former owner, the late Dan M Rooney, served as the US Ambassador to Ireland from 2009-2012.
His son and current owner Art knows the significance of the Steelers' Irish roots.
"My family has deep roots throughout Ireland and being able to connect with our fans across the Island is something special to our organisation," he said.
"My father did so much in Ireland during his lifetime, first as one of the founders of the Ireland Funds, then as ambassador. We look forward to growing our fanbase and the love of American football in the years to come."
The Pittsburgh Steelers took part in a home pre-season game in 1997, when they took on the Chicago Bears in Dublin.
Croke Park joins the likes of Wembley in London, the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid and the Olympiastadion in Berlin as hosts of NFL games in 2025.
The 2024 Super Bowl between the Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers is estimated to have been the ninth most-watched sporting event of all time.
Stadium director Peter McKenna talked about the journey to securing the game for Croke Park on the Irish Steelers Podcast.
"It’s amazing," he said. "Our first application to the NFL was back in 2012 - and now it’s real. The NFL is without doubt the biggest sport that there is. It’s a huge achievement and we’re all thrilled to be selected."
The inter-county Gaelic games season will conclude in August, with Croke Park set to host two Oasis concerts and a Robbie Williams gig later that month. However, McKenna has no concerns about the playing surface.
"The field will be immaculate", McKenna said. "We’re very proud it's one of the great surfaces - in fact, meeting with the NFL, they are very impressed with the fact that we have our own turf farm, so we can take in turf which is closer to what the NFL want in terms of their playing surface, than they’d get anywhere else in Europe."
Dan Rooney, director of business development and strategy for the Steelers, highlighted the significance of this announcement when speaking with the same podcast.
"There's nothing better than a live American football game, so the fact that fans from all over the world can travel to this game - and our Irish fans will have it in their backyard, it's huge for growing the fanbase of American football fans, Steelers fans and promoting our sport", he said.
"The Steelers want to be Ireland’s NFL team and that’s through real connection. Also, through my family's ties back to the island... we hope this game only furthers our connection with the Irish people and we’re excited to get Pittsburgh on the global map."
"My grandfather would be proud of the organisation for taking this step. We can’t wait to kick the ball off over there in Dublin."
The seventh oldest team in the NFL, the Steelers have won the Super Bowl six times since they were founded in 1933.
This season they were beaten by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the AFC play-offs.
