The Minnesota Vikings will face the Pittsburgh Steelers at Croke Park later this year in the first regular season NFL game to be staged in Ireland.
The Steelers had previously been announced as the designated home team for the fixture, which will be played on Sunday, September 28th, with the Vikings confirmed as their opponents in a press conference in Dublin Castle on Tuesday. The game will kick off at 2.30pm.
A statement released from the match organisers said tickets “will go on sale this summer”, with no specific date as of yet.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the Minnesota Vikings to Ireland this September for the first-ever NFL Dublin game at Croke Park,” said Henry Hodgson, general manager of NFL UK & Ireland. “Alongside the Pittsburgh Steelers, we can’t wait to bring world-class football to Dublin and make history together with passionate NFL fans in Ireland and those visiting from across the globe.
Inside Gaelic Games: The weekly GAA newsletter from The Irish Times
Donegal to kick off All-Ireland series against Tyrone in Ballybofey
NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers to host Minnesota Vikings at Croke Park on September 28th
Tactical analysis: Donegal and Armagh are two teams that ask all the right questions
“Playing in Ireland’s first-ever NFL game is an opportunity to introduce new fans to the Minnesota Vikings and help the league continue to make the game of football more accessible globally,” said Vikings owner/president Mark Wilf.
“To do so against a storied franchise like the Pittsburgh Steelers adds a unique challenge that makes this even more special. We are honoured to be selected for this historic game and will be anxious to see what promises to be an electric gameday environment in Croke Park.”
Dublin has previously hosted preseason and college-level American Football games. However, the staging of a regular season fixture marks a step up in the NFL’s efforts to expand the game’s reach overseas which have seen regular season games staged in Toronto, London, Mexico City, Munich, Frankfurt and Sao Paulo.
Croke Park’s 82,300 capacity will be reduced to 76,000 for the game, with Hill 16 to be fitted with temporary seating while other areas of the stadium will be altered to accommodate more corporate and media boxes.
The State has invested approximately €10 million in bringing the game to Dublin. Government officials previously stated the economic benefit of hosting the game is estimated to be in the region of €65 million and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Charlie McConalogue forecast 30,000 overseas visitors will travel to the game.
