American Bowl
The league started the American Bowl series in 1986 primarily to promote American football in other countries. At least one game was played annually between 1986 and 2003. The two participating teams were selected by the league. The first match took place on the 3rd of August 1986 at Wembley Stadium in London. The Chicago Bears defeated the Dallas Cowboys with a score of 17 to 6. After successful games in London's Wembley Stadium, the series expanded to Japan. Games also appeared in Montreal and Berlin after 1990. These locations promoted the new World League of American Football which began operations in 1991.
The largest crowd in NFL history was recorded at the American Bowl game at Mexico City on the 15th of August 1994. One hundred twelve thousand three hundred seventy-six people attended the Governor's Cup game between the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Oilers. The Dallas Cowboys won that specific match with a final score of 6 to 0. Other venues included Tokyo Dome in Japan and Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The series reached as far as Sydney for a game on the 8th of August 1999. A match in Dublin occurred at Croke Park on the 27th of July 1997. The Buffalo Bills played against the Green Bay Packers in Toronto during the summer of 1997.
As many as four games were played per year in the early 1990s. There was no American Bowl game played in 2004. From 2000 to 2005 all American Bowl games were played in either Mexico or Japan. The last American Bowl was held in 2005. After taking over the position in 2006, new NFL commissioner Roger Goodell cited the league's new international strategy. He abandoned international pre-season games and closed what had become NFL Europa after its 2007 season. The focus shifted toward playing regular season games in foreign countries instead of exhibition matches abroad.
The first regular season NFL game played outside the United States was held on the 2nd of October 2005. It took place at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City before an NFL regular-season record of 103,467 fans. The Arizona Cardinals defeated the San Francisco 49ers with a score of 31 to 14. The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins played a regular season game at the newly rebuilt Wembley Stadium in London on the 28th of October 2007. These games are termed the NFL International Series. The Buffalo Bills began the Bills Toronto Series which ran from 2008 to 2013.
Dallas Cowboys appeared in nine games across all hosted events between 1986 and 2005. They won one game and lost seven others during this period. The team scored 88 points while allowing 158 points total. The San Francisco 49ers participated in eight games and recorded four wins against four losses. The Chicago Bears played three games with one win and two losses. The Denver Broncos competed in seven matches achieving three victories and four defeats. The Dallas Cowboys hold the highest number of appearances among all franchises listed in the standings table.
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Common questions
When did the American Bowl series start and end?
The league started the American Bowl series in 1986 and held its last game in 2005. At least one game was played annually between 1986 and 2003 before the series concluded.
Where was the first American Bowl match played on the 3rd of August 1986?
The first match took place at Wembley Stadium in London on the 3rd of August 1986. The Chicago Bears defeated the Dallas Cowboys with a score of 17 to 6 during this event.
What was the largest crowd recorded for an American Bowl game in Mexico City on the 15th of August 1994?
One hundred twelve thousand three hundred seventy-six people attended the Governor's Cup game between the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Oilers. This attendance figure represents the largest crowd in NFL history for that specific competition.
Why did Roger Goodell stop hosting American Bowl games after 2005?
New NFL commissioner Roger Goodell abandoned international pre-season games after taking over the position in 2006. He closed what had become NFL Europa after its 2007 season to shift focus toward playing regular season games in foreign countries instead of exhibition matches abroad.
Which team appeared in nine American Bowl games between 1986 and 2005?
Dallas Cowboys appeared in nine games across all hosted events between 1986 and 2005. They hold the highest number of appearances among all franchises listed in the standings table.