MUNICH (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has an answer to German fans wondering about rumors that the league could head to their capital, Berlin: “Believe me.”

The NFL played its first regular season game in 2022 in Munich, Germany, followed by two games in Frankfurt the following year. Munich Hosting Sunday’s match The fifth and last international game of the season between the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers.

“I usually tell people, ‘Don’t believe the rumors.’ In this case, I can say ‘Believe’. We are working on it but it is not finalized yet. We really think Berlin would be a great addition, so we’re putting a lot of emphasis on that. Our staff is working very hard on this,” Goodell said during a question-and-answer session with fans in Munich. “But I want to add that this doesn’t mean we won’t come back to Frankfurt and Munich.”

German news agency dpa and broadcaster RTL reported on Saturday that the Berlin city government was discussing plans for a game.

Berlin was not one of them german cities which initially offered to host regular season games. The three finalists selected in 2021 were Frankfurt, Munich and Düsseldorf, which did not host any matches.

Berlin has personal significance for Goodell. On Saturday, he described how the NFL became involved in Germany’s first exhibition game in 1990 – less than a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall – between the Los Angeles Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs, played at the Berlin Olympiastadion, or Olympic Stadium.

“It was one of my favorite events,” Goodell said. “The German fans were amazing and overwhelming.”

NFL team owners voted in December to allow the league to host eight international games each season, but Goodell has said he has authority on the issue. long term goal 16 matches per season.

The league hosted its first match this season in Brazil. We are heading to Spain With a match in Madrid for the first time next year. London hosted three matches this season.

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