Steelers Look Absolutely Certain To Play In Mexico In 2025

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a substantial amount of fans in Mexico, so it would make sense that the NFL would want to get them there to play a regular season game. Fans in Mexico have hosted the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, and Dallas Cowboys, among other teams, but never the Steelers. Fans of the Black and Gold who reside south of the border want that to change. Now news is out that they might get their wish. 

In his popular chat column, Gerry Dulac, sports reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was asked by a fan who calls himself "Yinzer Maguire" about why the NFL hasn't scheduled a Steelers game for Mexico yet. 

"It's coming amigo maguire. 2025," wrote Dulac.

While what Dulac is sharing isn't quite definitive, it is a positive sign that the Steelers are trending in the right direction for a game that has been a long time coming. Part of the hold up for another game in Mexico is that Estadio Azteca (the stadium in Mexico City where their soccer team Club America plays, and the NFL has used), has been under construction and won't be ready until the 2025 season. 

The last and only time Pittsburgh has played a regular season game out of the United States was when they got beaten by the Minnesota Vikings in 2013 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Pittsburgh lost that game 34-27 as Adrian Peterson scored two touchdowns against the jet-lagged Pittsburgh defense. 

The NFL has been attempting to get more international games on the schedule every year, with teams playing in Germany and London in 2023 and 2024. Teams are currently required by the NFL to give up one home game, every eight years, so they can play an international game. The NFL is looking into expanding the number of international games as well as the cities where they are played. All of this stems from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's belief that American football will become more of an international game. The Steelers are a natural pairing with Mexico, where they are one of nine teams in the NFL that hold international marketing rights. 

Steelers' Irish Eyes Are Smiling

The Steelers have long had ties to the Rooney's homeland of Ireland. Dan Rooney, former owner of the Steelers, and son of the original owner, Art Rooney, was the United States Ambassador to Ireland for four years under President Barack Obama. 

This deep connection to the country helped forge the way for the Steelers to be awarded rights to expand their brand to the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This, like the market in Mexico, was done as a part of the NFL's "Global Markets Program." This has led to speculation that the Steelers could play a game in Ireland. 

Ireland has only hosted one NFL game and it was during the 1997 preseason. The Steelers defeated the Chicago Bears 30-17 at Croke Park in Dublin. Daniel Rooney III, the Director of Business Development and Strategy, said that the team has long held a goal of playing a game in Ireland. 

Rooney traveled to Ireland in 2023 with former Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart to promote the new partnership with the Emerald Isle. Never say never, Ireland has expressed an interest in hosting games and owners seem to wield a lot of power. Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, expressed a desire to play a game in Germany and that dream took him five years to realize, but it happened for them last year. 

One thing is certain, the NFL is going to expand as it gains fans in other countries. After all, football is a business and other countries represent untapped markets. It is hard to imagine Goodell leaving those stones unturned. The real question is how will teams fare, traveling across the United States is taxing on a team, and traveling across the world only amplifies that. How does a team fit that into a week-to-week schedule where sometimes teams have as few as five days in between games?

Where would you like to see the Steelers play outside of the United States? Click to comment below. 

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