Inside The Vikings

Rumor: Vikings could play Steelers in Ireland during 2025 NFL season

Will the Vikings wind up with an international game for the second consecutive year?

Will Ragatz

Oct 20, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A detailed view of Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson's (18) helmet before the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Oct 20, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A detailed view of Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson's (18) helmet before the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
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There's a chance the Vikings could wind up playing an international game for the second year in a row during the 2025 NFL season.

Three of Minnesota's road opponents are hosting games overseas this year. The Chargers are opening the season in Brazil, but even with the potential J.J. McCarthy against Jim Harbaugh angle, the possibility of the Vikings playing in that game "sounded remote at the owners' meetings," the Star Tribune's Ben Goessling said in the latest Access Vikings newsletter. The Browns are playing in London, but it would seem unlikely that Minnesota goes there for a second consecutive season and third time in four years.

The game "worth keeping an eye on," according to Goessling, is the first NFL game to ever be played in Dublin, Ireland. The Steelers will be the home team for that game at Croke Park. There are a few potential opponents who could make sense, including the Vikings.

"While the Packers (who just earned international marketing rights in Ireland) have been rumored as a possible opponent, it's believed the Steelers might want to keep the Packers game in Pittsburgh — especially if it's Aaron Rodgers facing his former team. That could leave the Vikings, Bills or Seahawks as possible opponents for the Steelers in Ireland. We'll learn the matchups in the coming weeks, but the possibility of a Dublin game for the Vikings seemed plausible this week."

The Vikings have played outside of the United States four times in their history, with all of them coming in London. They're 4-0 in those games. Minnesota beat the Steelers in 2013, the Browns in 2017, the Saints in 2022, and the Jets in 2024. In recent years, the NFL has expanded to playing games in Mexico, Germany, and Brazil. Ireland and Spain will be added to that list in 2025, and the first-ever game in Australia is set to take place in 2026.

We already know the Vikings' home and away opponents for the 2025 season. The NFL schedule will be revealed in mid-May, but the road teams who will play in international games will be announced at some point before then.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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