NFL double-header in the city forest

The Frankfurt Games logo is illuminated on all four sides of the giant video cube inside the city’s famous stadium, while the words ‘Welcome to Frankfurt’ – accompanied by the NFL and Frankfurt Games logos – are emblazoned in red along the length of the stands. Welcome to the Heart of Europe, American football fans!

The most spectacular professional sports league in the world is coming to the Frankfurt city forest on back-to-back weekends this November. Recently elected Frankfurt mayor Mike Josef is brimming with excitement at the prospect of playing host to two regular-season NFL games in the autumn. “It’s an honour to have two games in Frankfurt,” he said. “It shows the importance of sport and professional sport in Frankfurt, and how versatile we are. We’re getting sport of the highest quality.”

The two host teams are guaranteed to get the pulses of NFL fans racing: reigning Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs, led by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and the New England Patriots, who hold the joint record for most Super Bowl wins (six) alongside the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chiefs face the Miami Dolphins on Sunday 5 November before the Patriots take on the Indianapolis Colts a week later, on Sunday 12 November.

Two-time Super Bowl winner Sebastian Vollmer in Frankfurt 

Sebastian Vollmer was able to lift the famous Vince Lombardi Trophy on two occasions after helping the Patriots to Super Bowl glory in the 2014 and 2016 seasons. Together with Patrik Meyer, Managing Director of Eintracht Frankfurt Stadion GmbH, the Rhineland native has already had a taste of the surroundings at the venue of this autumn’s NFL double-header. A stroll across the pitch has only whetted his appetite for the sensational atmosphere inside the ground – something he has already experienced first-hand at an Eintracht Frankfurt match. The former offensive tackle has also been given a flavour of what lies in store on the river Main with visits to the city centre and the Römer building.

“The Patriots still have one of the biggest fan communities in Germany,” said the 38-year-old, who is expecting an American football party of gigantic proportions. “They’re finally playing on German soil, which is very special. In the Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning champions and arguably the world’s best quarterback are coming to Frankfurt. The stars are within touching distance. When you look at what went on in Munich last year – the excitement, millions of people in front of the TV and hundreds of thousands in the city itself – the city of Frankfurt will build on that. It’s going to be even bigger with the NFL there for two weeks. It’s very, very special. The fans can look forward to a wonderful celebration.”

The NFL community has always been made to feel very welcome in Frankfurt, as Meyer explains: “Eintracht’s stadium has a long American football tradition, which started here in 1945 when US soldiers played the first football game on German soil. That was followed by the World League, NFL Europe and the German Bowls between 1991 and 2007. We’ve never lost touch with American football. That makes us all the more proud that the original NFL is coming to our beautiful stadium in Frankfurt. We’re really looking forward to it.”

The NFL in Frankfurt – an experience that is guaranteed to live long in the memories of American football fans for quite some time.