Raiders Returning To Mexico To Host 2017 Regular Season Game vs. New England
(CBS SF) -- The Oakland Raiders will again host a regular season game in Mexico City this year in a matchup against the New England Patriots, the National Football League announced Wednesday.
The Raiders will play a home game in Mexico City for the second consecutive season. Last November, Oakland pulled out a come-from-behind win against the Houston Texans in front of more than 76,000 fans at Estadio Azteca - the vast majority who wore the Plata y Negro.
"The Raiders are excited to return to Estadio Azteca and represent the National Football League once again on an international stage," said Raiders Owner Mark Davis in a prepared statement. "We enjoyed tremendous support from the Raider Nation in Mexico in 2016 and look forward to experiencing that great passion again this year."
The Patriots will be playing a regular season game for the first time in Mexico. New England played a preseason game against Dallas at Estadio Azteca in 1998.
Estimates of the number NFL fans in living Mexico are in the range of 20 million. "We have a tremendous fan base in Mexico," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "Their passion for football is inspiring, and we look forward to another memorable game in Mexico City between two great teams next season."
The date and time of the game will be announced with the release of the 2017 NFL schedule this spring. In addition to the Mexico City game, there will be four games played next season in London.
