The matchup for the NFL's first-ever South American showdown is finally set: The Philadelphia Eagles will play the Green Bay Packers in Brazil, the league announced Wednesday. The Eagles had already been slated for the Sept. 6 game, a Friday night affair coming one day after the 2024 season opener, and now the Packers are locked in as their opponent.
The announcement comes weeks after Packers president Mark Murphy suggested the NFL was still deciding between two teams -- Green Bay and the Cleveland Browns -- for the game, which will be held at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo. Browns defensive lineman Maurice Hurst previously indicated Cleveland, not Green Bay, might be headed to Brazil for the historic Week 1 meeting.
Now the NFL will pit two of its highest-profile young quarterbacks against each other on the global stage, with the Eagles' Jalen Hurts two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance and the Packers' Jordan Love fresh off his debut as Green Bay's full-time starter. Hurts and Love both entered the NFL in the 2020 draft, and their teams were both playoff contenders in 2023.
Their upcoming Brazil matchup, which also marks the NFL's first Week 1 game held on a Friday since 1970, will be exclusively streamed on NBC's Peacock, though broadcasts will also be available on NFL+ and local TV networks. A kickoff time has yet to be announced. The Eagles, meanwhile, will be the designated "home team" despite the venue.
"With the global growth of our sport being a top priority to our league, we embrace the opportunity to grow our fanbase around the world and bring Eagles football to the 38 million sports fans in Brazil," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a team statement. "One of the world's most culturally diverse nations, Brazil is an international melting pot, and we look forward to experiencing its warm, vibrant, and welcoming environment later this year."
