When is it on?
The Pittsburgh Steelers are playing the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, September 28th at 2.30pm in Croke Park. It is the first NFL regular season game to be played in Ireland.
How can I watch it?
Virgin Media will show the game live, part of a package to broadcast all six NFL games to be played in Europe this autumn. Sky Sports have yet to unveil their live schedule for that weekend but the game is more than likely to be shown on their NFL Channel.
Can you still get tickets?
Tickets for the game are still available after organisers NFL UK released a few thousand on Monday. Those wishing to buy them must register with Ticketmaster NFL Ireland.
The initial sale of tickets left many Irish supporters frustrated after queuing for hours online, frequently dealing with technical issues that pushed them back to the end of a 600,000-person virtual line.
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The tickets received considerable interest from abroad, with roughly a third of those preregistering from Ireland, a third from the United States and a third from the UK and the Continent.
What will the match be worth to Ireland?
The Government has committed to nearly €10 million in State funding for the event and is anticipating 30,000 international visitors who will add a €64 million boost in economic activity and significant tax returns to the exchequer. Other estimates say it will be comfortably more than that.
How have the two teams started their season?
Both teams will fly to Ireland off the back of a win and with identical records of 2-1 after week three of the season. The Steelers won on the road in New England, beating the Patriots 21-14, while the Vikings were impressive 48-10 winners over the Bengals in Cincinnati.
The Steelers beat the New York Jets in their opening game 34-32, before losing 31-17 to the Seattle Seahawks. The Vikings also started with a win, beating the Chicago Bears 27-24, before being beaten by the Atlanta Falcons 22-6.
What to watch out for?
The now 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback for the Steelers, a five-time MVP and considered one of the greatest players in NFL history, so it will be a chance for Irish fans to see him. Believed by some to be past his best, Rodgers is looking for one last push at the Steelers in the autumn of his career.
The Steelers are looking to expand their fan base in Ireland, given their owners, the Rooney family, emigrated from Newry to the US. Dan Rooney, son of the team’s founder Art Rooney, was ambassador to Ireland from 2009 to 2012.
Leaning into their name, the Vikings are famous for a Skol chant, like that of the Icelandic football team. Their starting quarterback JJ McCarthy has been ruled out for two to four weeks with an ankle strain, so backup quarterback Carson Wentz will take up the mantle for the Dublin game.
Will there be entertainment at the game?
Cork native Lyra will sing Amhrán na bhFiann at the game, while award-winning music artist Myles Smith will perform at the half-time show. There will also be a host of performances from local acts before and during the game, including The Artane Marching Band, Clada House Band and Hit Machine Irish Drummers.
