Bundesliga
The NFL returned to Germany in November 2023 with two regular-season games played at Frankfurt Stadium as part of the NFL International Series. Here’s all you need to know about American football touching down again in Europe.
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Results
Date: Sunday, 12 November 2023
Teams: Indianapolis Colts 10-6 New England Patriots
Venue: Frankfurt Stadium
Kick-off: 3:30pm CEST
The Colts came from behind to beat the Patriots, thanks to Jonathan Taylor's touchdown and Matt Gay's 51-yard field goal. Chad Ryland had put New England in the driving seat and also pulled the score back to 7-6 with his second field goal, before Gay's decisive effort in the fourth quarter.
Date: Sunday, 5 November 2023
Teams: Miami Dolphins 14-21 Kansas City Chiefs
Venue: Frankfurt Stadium
Kick-off: 3:30pm CEST
The Chiefs held off a late Dolphins rally to win the first-ever NFL game in Germany in dramatic style. Kansas City had raced into a 21-0 lead after scoring all their touchdowns in the first half, only for two Miami touchdowns in the third quarter to throw the result into the air. A fumble from the Dolphins in the Chiefs' half with just over a minute left on the clock saw them hold on to the win to improve to 7-2.
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What is the NFL International Series?
The NFL has been playing games outside of the US since 2007 with the start of matches in London. Mexico was added in 2016 and then Germany in 2022, with an agreement for four years for games to be played across Munich and Frankfurt.
The first game in Germany was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Seattle Seahawks at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena in 2022. It was later decided that two games would be played in 2023 at Eintracht Frankfurt's home, with the Dolphins taking on Superbowl champions the Chiefs and then the Colts facing the Patriots the following weekend.
Watch: NFL sweepstake winners on their trip to Munich in 2022
Fußball meets American football
The Bundesliga is teaming up with the NFL for these sporting highlights in Germany. The Dolphins-Chiefs game coincided with Der Klassiker between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern on the Saturday as last season’s top two in the Bundesliga faced off once again.
The Bundesliga held a prize draw for this “Week of Football” whereby one lucky winner would receive two tickets for both Der Klassiker and the Dolphins-Chiefs game, including travel and accommodation, on the weekend of 4-5 November. There were also nine sets of two tickets for either of the NFL games in Frankfurt.
Quiz: Test your Bundesliga x NFL knowledge!
What about Frankfurt?
Frankfurt is Germany’s fifth largest city with a population of almost 2.5 million in its urban area, but it is the nation’s financial heart where skyscrapers and banking headquarters meet the city’s old town and it’s Römerberg square, which hosts Frankfurt’s famous Christmas market that traces its history back to the 14th century. The stalls traditionally open at the end of November.
The location for the two NFL games, Eintracht’s Deutsche Bank Park, is one of Germany’s footballing cathedrals. The current stadium holds 51,500 spectators, is the fourth to stand on the site of the original Waldstadion, located in the woods a bit outside the city, and has previously hosted concerts and boxing matches, like when Wladimir Klitschko successfully defended his heavyweight world title in 2010.
A striking feature is the 37,500 m² tent roof, which is modelled on a rim with spokes. The stadium is therefore also known as "the world's largest convertible". You can find out much more about Frankfurt, including how to get there and even what you should eat in our guide HERE.
Watch: Inside the home of Eintracht Frankfurt
The pinnacle of each sport
The Bundesliga and NFL both represent the top level of their respective sport. We compared some of the best from German Fußball and American football.
>>> Find out about the difference between soccer and football here
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