NFL commissioner doesn't hold back as he makes admission about the Super Bowl

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has revealed that the Super Bowl could one day be hosted outside the United States. Another entertaining rendition of the league's International Series has passed, with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams guiding his Chicago Bears to victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, attended by legions of fans packed into Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Since 2007, regular season games have been played in the UK, and with Germany having followed suit and Spain set to host matches, the NFL's global reach is expanding.

However, the sport's pinnacle, the Super Bowl, has always been held in the US. Yet, with their aggressive international outreach and desire to expand, a team could lift the Lombardi Trophy outside of the US in the not-so-distant future if Goodell's comments are anything to go by.

"We've always traditionally tried to play a Super Bowl in an NFL city that was always sort of a reward for the cities that have NFL franchises," Goodell said on Saturday. "But things change. It wouldn't surprise me at all if that [a Super Bowl abroad] happens one day.

"A lot of that depends on can we continue to make the game safer, can we continue to modify the way we conduct the offseason as well as the training camp and as well as the season so that these guys feel comfortable being able to play that period of time."

The NFL's first regular-season match outside of US territory took place in 2005 when Kurt Warner's Arizona Cardinals battled the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico City.

This event, which drew a crowd of over 100,000 spectators, sparked a shift towards international fixtures - particularly in Europe, where the International Series was established in 2007. The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins played what would become the first of many regular-season matches in England, later that year.

Since then, Canada and Germany have hosted clashes between gridiron giants, with pre-season games also taking place in Asia and South America.

Earlier this season, the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers made history by playing in Brazil, marking the NFL's debut in Latin America's largest country. Looking ahead, Commissioner Goodell has his sights set on expanding the league's reach even further.

"I have no doubt that we're going to be playing in Ireland," Goodell added at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. "I don't know if it will be next year, but it's coming soon. We're looking at other markets in the other direction, toward Asia. There's probably more interest than we can handle."