It’s been one of the worst kept secrets in the NFL. But now it’s official. The Pittsburgh Steelers will host a regular season game in Ireland during the 2025 NFL season.
It will be the league’s first regular season game in the foreign country. The Steelers officially announced the historic game on the team’s X (formerly Twitter) account.
Steelers owner Art Rooney also released a statement about the game through the media.
“We are very excited to be the designated team in the first regular season game to be played in Ireland this upcoming season,” Rooney said, via Pittsburgh Sports Now’s Mike J. Asti. ” The opportunity for the Pittsburgh Steelers to play in Ireland is truly special, not only because of the Rooney family history there, but also to play in front of the growing number of Steelers fans in Ireland.
“We are thrilled to be part of this historic even to represent Pittsburgh is a game that brings the NFL to the great sports fans in Ireland.”
The Rooney family, which founded the team in 1933, has a rich history with Ireland. Steelers.com’s reported the Rooneys still have family in Newry, County Down. Art Rooney II’s father, Daniel Rooney, who served as team president during the team’s 1970s dynasty, was the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland from 2009-12.
Steelers Returning to Ireland for NFL’s First-Ever Regular Season Game in Country
This will actually be the second time the Steelers play in Ireland. In 1997, they matched up against the Chicago Bears at Croke Park during the preseason.
Pittsburgh will host its 2025 regular season contest at Croke Park as well.
The team and league have yet to announce an official date or opponent. ESPN’s Ben Brust reported on Feb. 6 that the Steelers will host the Green Bay Packers in Ireland on Sept. 28 during Week 4.
Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders also reported that the Ireland contest will take place on Sept. 28. Saunders named the Packers, along with the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks as potential opponents.
Fittingly, the historic Steelers game will take place at one of the top sports venues in Europe. Croke Park opened in 1884 and serves as the principal national stadium of Ireland.
The stadium underwent renovations in 2004. With a capacity of 82,300, it is the fourth-largest stadium in Europe and the largest not usually used for soccer.
Croke Park predominantly hosts Gaelic sports, including Gaelic football and hurling.
Steelers Returning to Europe for First Time in 12 Years
With the NFL expanding its International Series to several new countries in recent years, it was only a matter of time before the Steelers hosted a game outside of Pittsburgh.
The last time the Steelers played outside the United States was 2013. It’s the only time the team has ever appeared in the league’s International Series.
That was also during Week 4 against the Vikings. The Steelers lost that matchup, which took place at Wembley Stadium in London, England, 34-27.
As of the end of the 2024 NFL campaign, the Steelers are one just four teams to have only played one international regular season game. The others are the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders.
The Packers are a logical opponent for the Steelers in the Ireland matchup because they also haven’t appeared in the International Series often (just twice). But the Packers did play in Brazil during Week 1 in 2024.
The Steelers do not play the Cowboys or Commanders during 2025. In theory, the Steelers could host the Browns in Ireland, but the NFL typically doesn’t schedule division matchups in the International Series.
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