Few people know the NFL as well as ESPN insider Don Van Natta Jr. So when this veteran investigative reporter predicts that the league will host a Super Bowl in London within the next five years, it carries weight. In a recent appearance on The Varsity podcast, Van Natta — a multitime Pulitzer Prize winner and author of an upcoming book on Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones — not only forecasted a Super Bowl in the UK during the 2030s, but also suggested that the NFL could move the Jacksonville Jaguars there even sooner.
“We know the Jaguars play every year in London; I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the team that ends up there in a few years,” Van Natta remarked. “The reward for that will be a Super Bowl in London. I think you can book it sometime in the next five to seven years.” This speculation follows NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s confirmation of the possibility of an international Super Bowl during his press conference on February 3.
The NFL has held games in England, Germany, and Brazil recently, with plans to expand to Ireland, Australia, and Spain. This growing interest abroad challenges the notion that football is strictly an American sport. With this international popularity comes the potential for a franchise in another country, making the Jaguars a logical choice since owner Shad Khan also manages the English soccer team Fulham FC and regularly hosts All-Elite Wrestling events in the UK. Once the NFL establishes a franchise overseas, hosting a Super Bowl seems almost inevitable, as teams that build new stadiums in (somewhat) temperate climates typically acquire a Super Bowl within a certain timeframe.