‘BEAST MODE’ LYNCH TO ATTEND VIKINGS OPENER
Former Seattle Seahawks star Marshawn Lynch will headline the opening night of the new American Football League Europe season later this month, with ‘Beast Mode’ scheduled to attend the Vienna Vikings’ historic opener against Berlin Thunder in the Austrian capital.
Lynch is scheduled to appear at the May 23rd clash at the newly renovated Wiener Sport-Club Stadium, where he will take part in the pregame coin toss and a fan meet-and-greet as the Vikings and Thunder launch the AFLE era of European professional football. The match-up carries significance well beyond Vienna, as the German-Austrian ‘capital city derby’ gives the new league a symbolic curtain-raiser as it attempts to establish itself within a fractured European landscape.
The Vikings confirmed this week that their final phase of preseason preparation is now underway, with the team entering an intensive nine-day stretch featuring five full practices, positional work, meetings and film study ahead of kickoff. Interest in the opener appears strong, with the club claiming that the main stand at Wiener Sport-Club Stadium is already close to selling out, and nearly 3,000 tickets sold in advance. Additional seating remains available in the newly-installed end-zone stands.
The Vikings organisation is also planning a substantial pregame festival around the stadium, with entertainment areas, interactive activities, merchandise stands and family-focused events expected to form part of the opening day experience. Lynch’s involvement gives the event an immediate injection of NFL star power, however.
One of the defining personalities of the 2010s NFL era, Lynch rushed for more than 10,000 career yards and helped Seattle win Super Bowl XLVIII during one of the franchise’s most dominant periods. Nicknamed ‘Beast Mode” for his punishing running style, the five-time Pro Bowler remains one of the league’s most recognisable former players and continues to maintain a high profile through media appearances, business ventures and football-related events.
The Vikings also confirmed adjustments to several kickoff times following the league’s finalisation of its 2026 regular season television schedule. The season opener against Berlin has been moved forward from 6pm to 5pm local time, while Vienna’s June 6th home match-up against Rhein Fire at the Generali Arena will now begin at 4:45pm. The revised schedule reflects AFLE’s broader push toward coordinated television coverage during its inaugural campaign, with league officials having recently finalised regular season broadcast arrangements across multiple markets.