Steelers to play game in Ireland during 2025 season

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be heading overseas for the first time in 12 seasons. To no surprise, given the franchise’s family roots, the destination is Dublin.

The NFL announced Friday the Steelers will play a game at Croke Park in Ireland’s capital city during the 2025 season. The Steelers will be the designated home team.

Dan Rooney, son of team president Art Rooney II and the team’s director of business development and strategy, was instrumental in getting the Steelers to play in Dublin.

“Terrible Towels certainly will make the trip across the pond to Croke Park and really put Pittsburgh and Steelers Nation on display for all to see,” Dan Rooney said. “We believe we have the best fan base in football, and we can’t wait for them to experience this international game in what we call our motherland for the Rooneys.”

The Rooney family was based in Newry, County Down, before members emigrated to Pittsburgh in the 1880s. Art Rooney Sr., the great-grandfather of Dan, founded the franchise in 1933.

Headed to the Emerald Isle in '25 ☘️@AerLingus | #NFLDublinGame pic.twitter.com/rzGkJJkVTg

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) February 7, 2025

The Steelers’ opponent and date of the game will be announced later. The Irish Examiner reported the game will be played in September with the Green Bay Packers serving as a potential opponent. The NFL schedule typically is released in April or May.

The Steelers will have a ninth home game in 2025 as part of the 17-game regular season. Other teams on the home schedule are Miami, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Minnesota, Seattle and AFC North opponents Baltimore, Cleveland and Cincinnati.

“My sense is from early conversations is there are a lot of clubs interested in being part of this game,” said Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president in charge of international events. “This is a big first in a market that a lot of people are excited about.”

The Steelers announced that season-ticket holders will have access to a lottery where they can purchase tickets for the Ireland game.

The last time the Steelers played overseas was 2013 when they lost to the Minnesota Vikings at Wembley Stadium in London.

The Steelers are one of three NFL teams to have global marketing rights in Ireland. The others are the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets. The late Daniel M. Rooney served as U.S. Ambassador to Ireland from 2009-12.

“This goes back to my grandfather’s work,” Dan Rooney said.

Croke Park has a seating capacity of 82,300. It hosted a preseason game between the Steelers and Chicago Bears in 1997.

The Steelers have held watch parties at Croke Park in each of the past two seasons.

“We are very positive about what the experience will be for a game there,” Dan Rooney said. “We’re confident it’s going to be a smashing success.”

The NFL played five international games in 2024, including one in Brazil. Games already have been announced for Berlin and Madrid next season as the league looks to expand its global reach.

“We’re looking to try to get to eight games this year,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday at the Super Bowl in New Orleans. “We may fall short of that, but we think we’ll get close to that. But I see that continuing to progress.”

Goodell said the NFL’s goal is to play 16 games annually outside the U.S. The NFL will venture into Australia for the first time in 2026 with the Los Angeles Rams serving as the home team.

Ar Aghaidh Linn ????????☘️

The NFL is coming to Dublin, Ireland and the @steelers are the designated team! pic.twitter.com/kpAemsOUvc

— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) February 7, 2025