KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs fans wanting to follow the team on the road to plays the Los Angeles Rams next will need to pack their passport, as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed Wednesday the Chiefs and Rams will do battle in Mexico City this fall.
Kansas City running back Charcandrick West carries the ball against the Detroit Lions in a 45-10 Chiefs’ win on Nov. 2, 2015, the last time the team played a game outside the United States. (Photo courtesy Chiefs PR, Chiefs.com)
This marks the first trip outside the United States for the Chiefs since the Chiefs bested the Detroit Lions 45-10 in Week 8 of the 2015 season. Team chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said the franchise supports the NFL branching out internationally.
“We are thrilled to be a part of the NFL’s international initiatives once again, and we are excited to face the Rams at historic Estadio Azteca this fall,” Hunt said in a statement. “The support for the NFL in Mexico has grown significantly since our initial trip in 1996. We look forward to returning to Mexico and connecting with a new generation of fans this season.”
The game will take place at Estadio Azteca, a soccer stadium with a capacity of 87,000 fans. The league did not set a date for the game, but Estadio Azteca has hosted NFL games each of the past two seasons. The Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans played in front of 76.743 fans on Nov. 21, 2016, the first Monday Night Football game played outside the United States. The Raiders and New England Patriots met this past season on Nov. 19.
If that pattern continues, the game would like take place during the third week of November, would be Nov. 18 or for a Monday Night Football game Nov. 19.
The game will mark the Chiefs’ sixth trip outside the United States for a game and just the second regular season game. The Chiefs first travelled out of the country for a game in 1990 for an exhibition game against the Rams in West Berlin. This marks Kansas City second trip to Mexico, after taking on the Dallas Cowboys in Monterrey in 1996.
The Chiefs past overseas games include:
- 1990: Exhibition game at Olympiastadion, West Berlin
Los Angeles Rams 19, Kansas City Chiefs 3 - 1994 Exhibition game at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo
Minnesota Vikings 17, Kansas City Chiefs 9 - 1996 Exhibition game at Estadio Universitario, Monterrey, Mexico
Kansas City Chiefs 32, Dallas Cowboys 6 - 1998 Exhibition game at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo
Green Bay Packers 27, Kansas City Chiefs 24 (OT) - 2015 Regular season Week 8, Wembley Stadium, London
Kansas City Chiefs 45, Detroit Lions 10
The NFL will release its 2018 schedule in mid-April but could unveil the date earlier. Tickets will go on sale this summer, but fans planning to attend can register their interest online at www.nfl.com/mexico/registration.
Chiefs season ticket members will receive information from the team directly when tickets are available for purchase.
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Matt Derrick is the lead beat writer for ChiefsDigest.com. Use the contact page to reach him or find him on Twitter: @MattDerrick.
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