With the NFL being the most popular sporting league in the United States, the league is pushing for the game’s expansion overseas.
One of their initiatives is the NFL International Series which started in 2007 at London’s Wembley Stadium.
They have grown the overseas schedule by adding more regular season games in England and in Mexico.
The NFL will also have its first-ever regular season game in Germany when the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers compete at the Allianz Arena in Munich on November 13.
But aside from bringing the games closer to its global fans, they have developed an initiative that will have players proudly representing their ancestry.
Fly your flag!
Over the next two weeks, more than 200 players will proudly wear helmet decals of the country or territory's flag that represents their nationality or cultural heritage. 🌎🌍🌏
Details: https://t.co/QICX7WyaAD pic.twitter.com/5l3kHmaYGK
— NFL (@NFL) September 28, 2022
The league’s official Twitter account reads, “Fly your flag! Over the next two weeks, more than 200 players will proudly wear helmet decals of the country or territory’s flag that represents their nationality or cultural heritage.”
The NFL identified 55 countries and territories in the accompanying graphic, which include Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, and the Bahamas.
Africa will also be represented by Cameroon, Congo, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, to name a few.
Players with European heritage will don the banners of Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Greece, and Germany, among others.
South America will have representatives from Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Jamaica.
Finally, China, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines are the Asian countries included.
The NFL Expands Around The Globe
This initiative should strengthen the league’s International Home Marketing Areas campaign that started in December 2021.
The league’s International Committee granted 18 teams access to 26 IHMAs across eight countries.
Its goal is to enhance its marketing, fan engagement, and commercialization opportunities in those territories.
Teams will have a five-year term per area before the agreement expires.
NEXT: Jonathan Taylor Saw A True Ironman Streak End