The NFL have cancelled the four games that were scheduled to take place in London later this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, while the fixture set for Mexico City has also been scrapped.
London has hosted an NFL game each year since 2007, with Wembley Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur stadium set to host two games each later this year.
The Jacksonville Jaguars were due to play in both games at Wembley, while the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins were set to play at White Hart Lane. Their opponents had not been confirmed.
However, with the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, the league have decided against hosting any games outside of the USA this year. They plan on returning to the UK in 2021.
In a statement released this evening, NFL Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer Christopher Halpin said the NFL will be back in London and Mexico City next year:
After considerable analysis, we believe the decision to play all our games domestically this season is the right one for our players, our clubs, and all our fans in the US, Mexico and UK.
We greatly appreciate the support of our governmental and stadium partners in Mexico and the United Kingdom, who all agree with this decision, and we look forward to returning for games in both countries in the 2021 season.
We also thank our incredible fans in those territories for their passionate support of the NFL. We will continue to serve them through our outstanding media partners and by being active supporters of both grassroots football and COVID-19 relief efforts in Mexico and the UK.
The Jaguars have hosted a game in London every year since 2013, with the franchise eyeing up a permanent move to the city. Owner Shahid Khan attempted to buy Wembley last year in order to have a permanent venue for the team, while Spurs' new stadium has also been built so that it can be seamlessly converted to host American football games.
In 2019, over 285,000 fans attended the four London games.
