London to host NFL game this year

American Football:   London will host an American Football game later this year

American Football:  London will host an American Football game later this year.  It will be the first time a regular-season NFL game will be staged outside North America.

NFL owners voted in October to play up to two games outside the United States every year for the next five years, with just one game to be played in 2007.

"There is great interest in the NFL around the world," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "Playing a limited number of regular-season games outside the United States is the next step for us in serving that interest.

"This is what our international fans, media partners, and sponsors want. There is no better place to begin this initiative than London. It is one of the great cities of the world with an established and growing fan base for our game."

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The NFL staged its first regular-season game outside the United States in 2005 when 103,467 people saw the Arizona Cardinals play the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico City - the largest crowd for a regular-season game in NFL history.

The United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and Mexico were identified as the four priority markets to hold the game due to logistical and broadcast reasons. China and Japan had previously been up for consideration but were not among the four countries in the running.

The league will now consider stadium proposals and then select the venue for the London game during Super Bowl week next month. The New Wembley Stadium should be operational in May and is the likely location for the game.