The Arizona Cardinals are headed to Mexico
By Reese Furlow
Fans can begin to pack their bags and order their plane tickets, as the Arizona Cardinals will host a home game in Mexico.
The Arizona Cardinals announced they will be the home team at the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City for the upcoming 2020-21 season. The stadium is host to the Mexican national football team and Club America during the World Cup and regular season.
With over 87,000 seats, expect to see tons of red in the stands as the Cardinals are one of Mexico’s favorite NFL teams. The Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers are also some of Mexico’s favorite teams, the same teams the Cardinals will play this season. With that, expect the game at Aztec Stadium to consider one of these two teams to be the away team against Arizona.
Despite being only 1,500 miles away, the Cardinals have not been to Mexico City in 15 years. Over the last four seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers, the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders, and the Houston Texans and Las Vegas Raiders were the last teams that played there.
The Cardinals’ most recent international game was in 2017 when they lost to the Los Angeles Rams, 33-0, in London at the Twickenham Stadium.
The Cardinals were required to host an international game before the 2023 season because the NFL awarded them with Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium.
Since 2005, the Arizona Cardinals have only played in two international game, so it was time they paid their due. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is the only player on the current roster who also played in their first Mexico City game.
As of 2015, the NFL agreed to host multiple games a year in both London and Mexico City. The Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Oakland Raiders are the only teams to have played two or more international games since the agreement.