why are the steelers playing in ireland

The Pittsburgh Steelers are playing in Ireland in 2025 because the NFL is expanding its international presence and saw Ireland as a promising new market for regular season games. The Steelers have strong historical and cultural ties to Ireland, with the Rooney family, the team’s owners, tracing their roots to Ireland. The NFL granted the Steelers international marketing rights in Ireland (as well as Northern Ireland, Mexico, and Germany), and Ireland was selected partly because renovations at Mexico City's stadium delayed NFL games there. The game is scheduled to take place at Croke Park in Dublin, which previously hosted the Steelers in a 1997 preseason game. This 2025 match is Ireland's first regular season NFL game and is expected to be a significant event with strong fan interest from both local and American fans. The Irish government is supporting the game financially, seeing it as a boost to tourism and the economy, with hopes it could lead to more NFL games in Ireland in the future.