Under the Rio night sky, the NFL is opening its 2025 season with a clash far from American soil. The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers will write the first chapter of the year not in Arrowhead or SoFi, but in Brazil’s bustling São Paulo.
The choice signals more than just a marquee matchup; it reflects the league’s growing push into new markets. Football now finds itself carried onto a stage where samba and soccer rule the rhythm of the crowd.
For the players, it’s an unusual backdrop, and for the NFL, a strategic move. By starting Week 1 abroad, the league is underscoring how global ambitions and local passion can collide, setting the tone for a season unlike any other.
Why did the NFL choose Brazil for Chiefs vs. Chargers in Week 1?
The NFL’s decision to open the 2025 season in São Paulo with the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers is a landmark in its international expansion.
An aerial view of the Neo Quimica Arena stadium before the NFL Game Chiefs and Chargers on September 04, 2025. (Source: Miguel Schincariol/Getty Images)
According to TalkSport, this game is part of a broader $23 billion plan to grow the NFL overseas, with seven international fixtures scheduled in 2025. Brazil was chosen not only for its infrastructure but also for its booming fan base—one of the largest outside the United States.
Brazil already hosted the Eagles vs. Packers in 2024, marking the country as a key frontier for football’s global future. Now, with Patrick Mahomes leading the Chiefs against Justin Herbert’s Chargers, the NFL is signaling that its next era will be written as much in Portuguese as in English.
