Steelers to Play in Dublin as NFL Debuts Regular Season Game in Ireland

A Pittsburgh Steelers helmet on the field during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio on Sept. 11, 2022. Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The NFL is going to the Emerald Isle in 2025. The league announced Friday that it would host a regular season game in Ireland next season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are the designated team for the 2025 Ireland Game at Croke Park in Dublin, home of the Gaelic Athletic Association, the governing body of Gaelic football.

“Both the NFL and the Steelers franchise have deep roots and history in Ireland, and we’re looking forward to making our regular-season debut in Dublin, bringing our game to a large and passionate Irish fan base and underlining the NFL’s commitment to global growth,” Executive Vice President International, League Events and Club Business at the NFL Peter O'Reilly said in a press release announcing the game.

While it will be the first regular-season game played in Ireland, it won’t be the first NFL game, nor will it be the first Steelers game: the Steelers played the Chicago Bears in a preseason game in Dublin as part of the NFL’s American Bowl series in 1997.

American Football has had a distinct presence in Ireland at the college level for some time: The Emerald Isle Classic was held in Dublin in 1988 and 1989; it was revived in 1996 and again in the 2010s. Croke Park has hosted two matchups: the 1996 Shamrock Classic between Notre Dame and Navy and the 2014 Croke Park Classic between Penn State and the University of Central Florida (UCF). Most recently, Georgia Tech took on Florida State in the 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic.

In the league’s statement, Steelers owner and president Art Rooney said that his team is excited to be designated in the first regular season game in Ireland for the upcoming season.

“The opportunity for the Pittsburgh Steelers to play in Ireland is truly special, not only because of the Rooney family history there, but also to play in front of the growing number of Steelers fans in Ireland,” he said.

“We are thrilled to be part of this historic event to represent Pittsburgh in a game that brings the NFL to the great sports fans in Ireland.”

Rooney’s father, former Steelers executive Dan Rooney, served as U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 2009 to 2012.

Irish Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture, and Sport Patrick O’Donovan TD said hosting a regular season NFL game in 2025 will benefit Irish tourism, the broader economy, and the country’s sports ecosystem enormously.

“It will also build upon the deep cultural, family, and economic ties between Ireland and the United States,” he said.

The Dublin event is the latest location in the NFL’s expansion worldwide, with the league announcing last week that it would host a game in Australia. Last year, it hosted games in São Paulo, London, and Munich.

Aside from the Dublin and Australia contests, the NFL has several international games already planned across Europe for 2025. London, which has hosted at least one NFL game per season since 2007, will host three this year, with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Jacksonville Jaguars as designated teams. The Indianapolis Colts will play in the 2025 Munich game, and the Miami Dolphins will play in the Madrid game.