Football, not futbol: Chiefs will face Rams in Mexico City this fall

The Chiefs will be playing abroad again, as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced Wednesday that this fall’s road game against the Los Angeles Rams will be played in Mexico City.

“Over the past two seasons, we have seen the extraordinary passion that exists for NFL football in Mexico,” Goodell said in a statement. “We are excited for another memorable event at Estadio Azteca as the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs head to Mexico City in 2018.”

The date of the game has not been set yet. The NFL does not finalize its schedule until April.

This will mark the Chiefs’ first international game since 2015, when they surrendered a home game to face the Detroit Lions in London.

The Chiefs won the game, and afterward, chairman Clark Hunt said the club would entertain taking another international trip. This time, however, they would be the road team and not have to surrender a home game at Arrowhead Stadium.

That day has come.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the NFL’s international initiatives once again, and we are excited to face the Rams at historic Estadio Azteca this fall,” said Hunt, who is also the chair of the NFL’s International Committee. “The support for the NFL in Mexico has grown significantly since our initial trip in 1996. We look forward to returning to Mexico and connecting with a new generation of fans this season.”

The Chiefs last played a game in Mexico in 1996, when they toppled the Dallas Cowboys 32-6 in the preseason.

The NFL recently committed to playing three regular-season games in Mexico from 2019 to 2021, extending a previous three-year agreement that ran from 2016 to 2018.

Fans interested in tickets for the game should register at www.nfl.com/mexico/registration. Tickets go on sale this summer.

This story was originally published January 31, 2018 at 2:53 PM with the headline "Football, not futbol: Chiefs will face Rams in Mexico City this fall."