Vikings Look to Extend International Unbeaten Run — Twice
Rumors have been circulating for a while, but now they have been confirmed. The Minnesota Vikings will make history by becoming the first NFL team to play back-to-back international games.
Vikings Look to Extend International Unbeaten Run — Twice
Global Vikings
Minnesota joined the Global Markets programme when it was launched back in 2022, with Canada and the United Kingdom as its chosen markets. I said at the time not to be surprised if trips across the Atlantic became fairly regular, and so it is proving. The forthcoming games in Dublin and London will be the third and fourth international games since the 2022 announcement.
The Vikings’ ownership is clearly excited to expand their global reach, with Mark Wilf saying, “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.”
He also spoke fondly of his team’s experiences in London over the years, where the solid foundation of a fanbase has been set.
Vikings fans have turned up loud and proud at previous international games and made the occasions very much like a home game. As the Vikings travel to Dublin, Ireland, to play the Pittsburgh Steelers and return to London to face the Cleveland Browns, NFL onlookers expect Vikings fans to bring the noise again.
The Unbeaten Record
The Vikings have played seven games overseas throughout the team’s history. Starting with a trio of exhibition games in the UK, Sweden, and Germany.
More recently, four games in the international series were played in London, including games against both of this year’s opponents. Minnesota won all seven of these games and will hope to keep that streak alive as they visit Ireland for the first time and make it a sixth visit to London.
Here are the results of the previous seven games;
Exhibition Games
- 1983 – Vikings 28-10 Cardinals (UK)
- 1988 – Vikings 28-21 Bears (Sweden)
- 1993 – Vikings 20-6 Bills (Germany)
International Series Games
- 2013 – Vikings 34-27 Steelers (UK)
- 2017 – Vikings 33-16 Browns (UK)
- 2022 – Vikings 28-25 Saints (UK)
- 2024 – Vikings 23-17 Jets (UK)
The UK and Ireland look forward to this purple Viking invasion much more than the invasions in the 8th and 9th centuries. The organisation always travels with the impression that they really want to be there, and the energy is reciprocated from those fans, possibly playing into why Minnesota has such a good international record.
The Two Games
With games against what should once again be a tough AFC North division in 2025. The Vikings have swapped two road games at tough stadiums to visit for a more jovial atmosphere and a likely heavy purple presence. International games aren’t universally popular, but this situation should give Minnesota a competitive advantage over back-to-back games, where they can acclimatise over a lengthy period, giving them a particular advantage for the second game.
The games come fairly early in the schedule — Week 4 and 5 — and if Minnesota continues their great form in Europe, it could lead to an excellent start to the season. We will find out how the rest of the 2025 schedule shapes up when it is officially announced on Wednesday.
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