London baby!
The 2025 International Series got underway last weekend as Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers edged out the Minnesota Vikings 24-21.
This weekend, London sees its first proper game of 2025 as the Vikings remain on this side of the pond and are joined by the Cleveland Browns.
The International Series is no gimmick
What began as a curiosity in 2007 – the first NFL London game was Giants v Dolphins – has grown into a fixture fans circle on their calendars.
Wembley and Twickenham hosted the early matches and Tottenham added its own flair in 2019. The league has since expanded into Germany, Spain and Brazil.
Yet London still feels like the spiritual home of international football. Nearly two decades of games on British soil have revealed a few truths.
Favourites usually deliver
Despite the travel, time zone differences and novelty factor, the bookies have been mostly right.
The favourites win London games at roughly the same rate they do in the States – about two-thirds of the time, or 65.6%.
So if you were expecting chaos every year at Wembley, think again. London might feel electric, but the results usually follow the script.
Jacksonville: London’s landlords
No team has graced these stadiums more than the Jacksonville Jaguars. They began as tenants and have effectively become landlords, at least in appearances.
They do not always win – their record is a middling 7-6 – but the Jaguars are the closest thing London has to a ‘home side’.
Commercially, it makes sense; competitively, results have been hit or miss.
Breaking the L vs L streak
For years, no London game had featured two teams with winning records.
That odd quirk ended in 2022 when the Green Bay Packers met the New York Giants at 3-1 apiece.
It was a reminder that London games are no longer throwaway fixtures. The league is now happy to send competitive, meaningful match-ups across the pond.
The Vikings undefeated in London
Here is another quirky nugget: the Minnesota Vikings have yet to lose in London.
Four games, four wins, which makes them the kings of the UK… at least until someone finally tops them.
First re-match: Vikings vs Browns
Maybe the Cleveland Browns can finally break the Vikings’ UK win streak?
This is the first London game to be replayed. The previous meeting at Twickenham saw the Vikings cruise to a 33-16 win.
History favours Minnesota, but stranger things have happened in football.
London games are bigger than ever
Crowds keep growing. Wembley pulled in monster numbers, Tottenham has added its own swagger and the games are now full-scale events rather than one-off curiosities.
You can debate the quality of the football, but the spectacle has never been bigger.
Yes, travel and time zones play a role. Yes, routines get disrupted. But London is not a giant equaliser.
If a team is good in the States, it usually shows in the UK. If it is bad, London rarely rescues it.
The difference is the atmosphere: unique, electric and unlike any NFL Sunday anywhere else.
