Why Vikings wanted to play back-to-back in Dublin, London - ESPN

EAGAN, Minn. — The NFL launched an expansion of its global reach this spring. For the first time, a team would face the daunting gauntlet of consecutive international games in different counties.

Which club would the NFL burden with the job? It turned out to be the Minnesota Vikings, whom the league scheduled for a game in Ireland during Week 4 and England in Week 5.

Immediately, Vikings staffers began hearing from their friends around the league.

«A lot of people reached out and said, 'What did you guys do to the NFL to get this?'» said Vikings vice president of player health and performance Tyler Williams.

Equipment manager Mike Parson laughed and said: «They said we got screwed.»

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A 10-day, two-city international trip imposes an unprecedented logistical challenge and runs counter to the instincts of every routine-oriented coach and player. But as those league friends soon found out, the Vikings actually wanted to do it.

Although they are the visiting team in both cases, against the Steelers in Dublin and the Browns in London, the team's market research and branding efforts have indicated strong local support in both cities. Keisha Wyatt, the Vikings' director of international marketing, estimated that 40% of the crowd at Dublin's Croke Park and up to 60% at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be Vikings fans.

Those proportions would effectively neutralize two of the nine road games the Vikings otherwise would have played in 2025. And because they are scheduled in consecutive weeks, the Vikings will remain overseas, making only a 90-minute flight from Dublin to London in between. Owners Zygi and Mark