The NFL is set to stage its biggest opening weekend ever, with four days of games and global events designed to engage fans worldwide.

To excite fans for the start of the season, the NFL recently unveiled its season-long brand campaign for 2024, titled ‘This Is Football Country’. The campaign highlights the passion and community spirit that football cultivates, while celebrating the unifying power of the game around the world. The spot conveys the palpable hype that comes with the return of football, which begins on Thursday (September 5th) as the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs face the Baltimore Ravens.

The schedule continues Friday night when the Green Bay Packers take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the league’s first-ever game in South America, at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil, before the weekend brings a plethora of can’t-miss matchups on Sunday and Monday. The game in São Paulo is also the first the league has played on the Friday night of kickoff weekend in over 50 years.

“We’re turning up the event excitement and programming to match the energy of our fans worldwide in what promises to be our biggest kickoff weekend yet,” said Peter O’Reilly, executive vice president of club business, international and league events. “Not only are we expanding to four days of epic matchups, but we’re also making history with our first-ever game in South America, a milestone underscoring the global growth of the sport. This year’s kickoff is the ultimate football celebration and demonstrates the universal love of the game, setting the tone for what is sure to be an unforgettable season.”

On Sunday, three rookie quarterbacks are expected to start their franchise’s opening game, beginning with Caleb Williams — the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft — and the Chicago Bears hosting the Tennessee Titans. In the afternoon window, Jayden Daniels, taken second overall, leads the Washington Commanders at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Bo Nix, selected 12th overall and the Denver Broncos visit the Seattle Seahawks. Sunday Night Football will see the Los Angeles Rams visit the Detroit Lions in a rematch of the 2023 NFC Wild Card game that saw the Lions register their first playoff victory in over 30 seasons, before kickoff weekend concludes with Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets visiting the reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.

Leading up to the 2024 NFL Kickoff presented by YouTube TV and throughout the weekend will be local activations and community events in Kansas City, immersive fanfests with NFL Experience in São Paulo and much more, as fans across the globe get to celebrate the start of the season with a slate of events hosted by their favourite teams. The Miami Dolphins are bringing Brazil’s best flag football players — including members of the Brazilian National Team and Pro Bowl-winning team — to São Paulo for the historic Packers-Eagles matchup while, in Australia, the Eagles are partnering with NFL Australia to host an exciting NFL Kickoff Festival at Bondi Pavilion, blending Brazilian culture with Philadelphia favourites. In Hamburg, Germany, the Chiefs will invite multiple influencers and a super fan to spend the night on the ChampionsHausboot, a houseboat, to watch the live broadcast of the Chiefs-Ravens game, while on the west coast, the Los Angeles Rams are embracing the excitement with their ‘Royal Tour Watch Party’ at the iconic Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where thousands of fans will gather to watch their team take on the Lions.