Green Bay Packers will face Philadelphia Eagles in SP – 04/10/2024 – Sports

The Green Bay Packers will be the American football team that will face the Philadelphia Eagles in the first NFL (professional American football league in the United States) match in Brazil. The announcement was made this Wednesday (10) by the league in partnership with the city of São Paulo.

The match will be held on September 6, 2024 at Neo Química Arena, Corinthians stadium. The location of the dispute and the Philadelphia team had already been announced at the beginning of February, but the second NFL team that will come to the country had yet to be known.

Ticket sales and prices have not yet been announced. According to the organizers, sales will take place during the summer in the United States, between June and August.

The Green Bay Packers began activities in 1919 and hold the record for 13 NFL titles, 9 of which were in the pre-Super Bowl era — the final began in 1967 — and four after the creation of the North American league’s decisive match.

The Philadelphia Eagles were founded in 1933 and won the conference title four times (1960, 1980, 2004 and 2017) and the Super Bowl once, in 2018, after beating the New England Patriots in the decision.

Interestingly, both teams use the color green on their uniforms, the same as Palmeiras, Corinthians’ rivals.

Mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB) stated that the city hall will invest US$5 million (R$25 million) in infrastructure for the event.

According to Gustavo Pires, president of SPTuris, the amount will be passed on to the NFL to prepare all the necessary structure for the game, which includes any necessary modifications to the stadium and the surrounding area to receive and guarantee the safety of fans.

According to city hall estimates, the event is expected to generate up to US$60 million (R$330 million), generating 5,000 jobs. “The economic impact is measured as follows: the increase in taxi driver and Uber rides, the increase in the hotel chain and restaurants, impacting the city’s sectors due to the event”, stated Pires.

Nunes added that the game will be broadcast on open TV in all 50 states in the United States and in more than one hundred countries. “Holding the match will put the city in the world’s spotlight and bring numerous economic benefits to the capital,” stated the mayor. “September 6th will be a milestone for São Paulo and for Brazilian sport with this great game,” added Nunes.

The mayor was in Dallas at the end of last year, during the annual meeting of the owners of the 32 NFL teams, to sign the contract that sanctioned the game in the capital of São Paulo.

City Hall expects at least 10,000 Americans to watch the game at the stadium. It will possibly be the largest number of North Americans coming to Brazil to watch a match related to a sporting event, said the president of SPTuris. “The World Cup will not have brought so many Americans to São Paulo,” said Pires.

Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona and Madrid were also in contention to host the event. In the current season, London, England, and Frankfurt, Germany, hosted matches from the United States American Football League.

Senior Vice President of NFL International, Gerrit Meier said that the choice of teams took into account the fan base in Brazil.

“The process for choosing cities is very complex and involves a lot of the long-term partnerships that we are able to establish in the city, whether with the public sector or the private sector. In the NFL’s assessment, São Paulo is in a position where these partnerships can be very fruitful”, said Meier.

According to the organizers, the Corinthians stadium was chosen because it had the appropriate dimensions to hold the game. Before approval, inspections were carried out on items such as mobility, hospitality, security and infrastructure.

The NFL executive also stated that the next season of the American football league will have up to eight games outside the United States, which increases the flexibility to take matches to other geographies, including the possibility of new games in Brazil. “International expansion is a priority.”

The president of SPTuris stated that the goal is for NFL matches to be held annually in Brazil, with the possibility of up to two matches per year from 2026. “We have the market and conditions and we will fight night and day for this “, stated Pires.

According to league estimates, there are around 38.3 million people in Brazil who declare themselves fans of the sport, behind only Mexico, with 39.6 million, and the United States.