Hot on the heels of revealing that Melbourne Cricket Ground will stage the first-ever NFL regular season game in Australia in 2026, the league added another stop on its overseas tour as Dublin joins London, Berlin and Madrid on the 2025 calendar.

The first regular season game in Ireland will take place at historic Croke Park — the largest sporting arena in Ireland and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) — in partnership with the Government of Ireland and Dublin City Council (Dublin City). Previously, only NFL preseason games graced the hallowed turf before college football made Dublin a season-opening stop on its schedule, with the Aer Lingus Classic moving from Croke to the Aviva Stadium several years ago.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will play as the designated team for the first game, underlying the franchise’s strong ties to the Emerald Isle. Steelers’ president Art Rooney II and his family have a rich history and deep connection with Ireland as a whole, having family from Newry in Northern Ireland and the late Dan M. Rooney having served as U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 2009-2012.

“We are very excited to be the designated team in the first regular season game to be played in Ireland this upcoming season,” Art Rooney II commented. “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. 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.”

The Steelers are one of only two NFL teams to have played a game in Ireland to date, having played the Chicago Bears at Croke Park as part of the American Bowl series in 1997. They have previously played in one regular season game internationally — at Wembley Stadium in London in 2013 — and are joined in holding marketing rights for Ireland by both the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars.

“We are delighted to officially bring a regular season NFL game to Ireland as part of our 2025 International Games slate,” said the NFL’s executive vice-president of international, league events and club business, Peter O’Reilly. “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.”

Croke Park is the home of the GAA and hosts the Gaelic football and hurling All-Ireland finals every year. In 2003, it held the Special Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies and, in 1996, showcased the college football game between Notre Dame and Navy, kickstarting the tradition of college football opening its schedule overseas.

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome the NFL and the Pittsburgh Steelers to Croke Park,” GAA president Jarlath Burns admitted. “This event will not only highlight our stadium’s world-class facilities, but also reinforce the connections and love of sport shared between our communities. Croke Park is a proud symbol of Ireland’s rich sporting heritage, and hosting one of the world’s best sporting organisations is a momentous occasion for the entire country. It will be a special and unique event, celebrating the passion uniting two great sporting codes in the heart of Dublin.”

Details including the Steelers’ opposition, as well as the date and kickoff time of the Dublin match will be announced when the 2025 NFL schedule is revealed this spring. With the NFL having agreed with its teams to host as many as eight regular season games overseas each year, Dublin becomes the sixth European engagement, with Brazil and Mexico still on the outside looking in with regards to the 2025 schedule. Australia joins the International Series schedule in 2026.

Fans can register for information around the 2025 NFL Dublin game here: www.nfl.com/dublin