For the third time in four years, the Indianapolis Colts will travel a long way from Lucas Oil Stadium as they are slated to face off against the Washington Commanders in London for their Week 4 matchup on October 4th. It took them ten weeks before traveling to Berlin, Germany last year, so this contest will bring a much earlier bye. The process shouldn’t be new at this point as many of the players and coaches have been part of these international games. The Colts’ main worry should be coming out of the bye better this year than last.
The NFL is growing the game. With the FIFA World Cup heading to North America, the vast majority of the world associates what we call soccer as the one true fútbol, to borrow from Spanish. American football is a United States’ thing. Yes, Canada has a league, but the Super Bowl isn’t moving to Vancouver anytime soon. Roger Goodell is seeking to improve the league’s appeal. With nine international games across the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, France, and even Australia, the goal of looking beyond the borders of the U.S. is abundantly clear.
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Recently, the Colts have been at the center of that push. Are they at the same level as the Jaguars who essentially have a second home in London? Of course not, but they are becoming worldwide. Traveling to Berlin to watch the game was proof of that to me. There was an abundance of Colts fans roaming the streets. Obviously, stadiums have an array of random teams and jerseys, but a continued presence helps build familiarity. The Colts and their players might not be household names, but the team itself is becoming better recognized throughout Europe.
If you have the privilege and opportunity to travel to London for this year’s game, I highly encourage you to go. Traveling to Berlin, while not an everyday event, was truly special. The city itself had so much to offer and getting to be part of the European sports scene was eye-opening. From the energy, to the chants, to the singing of “Take Me Home Country Roads”, it felt like a brand new experience. The Colts continue to collect these experiences. Hopefully, they learned valuable lessons from last year and can use it to propel them to greater things in 2026.
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