The Bears are heading overseas for the first time since 2019. The Bears will play a game in London in 2024, the NFL has announced. The date of the game and the opponent will be announced this spring.
The game will be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The Bears, who have nine home games in 2024, will be the host for their game in London. The league also announced that the Minnesota Vikings will host a game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the Jacksonville Jaguars will host a game at Wembley Stadium in London.
.@nfl345 announced today designated teams for the ‘24 season intl games. Each team's opponent, along with dates and kickoff times will be announced when the full schedule is revealed this spring. pic.twitter.com/JfXzvey6qE
— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) January 11, 2024
Additionally, the Carolina Panthers will host a game at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. The NFL also is planning a game at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with both opponents to be announced later.
“Every game the Chicago Bears play is rich in tradition, culture and passion,” team chairman George McCaskey said in a statement. “And every year, game after game, we look forward to welcoming fans to experience that richness. This year, we will take our storied franchise and tradition back to London and share internationally what our fans locally experience every game.”
The Bears last played overseas during the 2019 season when they faced the Oakland Raiders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Bears, who were playing without an injured Mitchell Trubisky, lost to the Raiders during a Week 5 matchup. Before that, they had not played in London since 2011.
The NFL is pushing for more international games in the coming years. In 2025, the league will push its total from four international games per season to eight (the Jaguars have their own London agreement, which is not part of that count). Each team will be guaranteed to play an international game at least once every eight years.
The Bears reportedly were the only team to vote against the increase of international games at an owners meeting in December.