Minnesota will follow that Week 4 appearance at Croke Park in Dublin by skipping across the Irish Sea — Muir Éireann — to face the Cleveland Browns in Week 5 at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“Our experiences in London have always been memorable, so to return in 2025 as the first team to play in back-to-back international games in different countries was something we could not pass up,” Wilf said. “UK fans have a history of showing up and embracing the Minnesota Vikings, creating what often feels like a homefield environment, and we are hopeful that is what we see again in 2025.”
“Our experiences in London have always been memorable, so to return in 2025 as the first team to play in back-to-back international games in different countries was something we could not pass up,” Wilf said. “UK fans have a history of showing up and embracing the Minnesota Vikings, creating what often feels like a homefield environment, and we are hopeful that is what we see again in 2025.”
Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell on Tuesday participated in a video press conference with media members in Ireland and a separate virtual session with UK media members to explain the team’s excitement and approach.
“I’m certainly looking at this as a genuine, great opportunity. It’s one thing to play in some of these international opportunities that the NFL has done such a great job of putting together, but to be the first, to be the first in such a wonderful place like Dublin and with such a great sports culture already, a great venue in Croke Park and 82,000-plus,” O’Connell said. “When you think about opportunities to play in unique atmospheres and environments that are experiences for your players, what better way to do that than to play in Dublin for the first time in the regular season, which is a big deal to us.
“The two-game trip gives us an unbelievable opportunity to take our team on the road, get away from a lot of the day-to-day things that may be pulling players in any other direction. It feels almost like a training camp,” O’Connell added. “It feels almost like a trip to allow us to come together closer than ever, build our team camaraderie and culture even stronger, which has been such a strong asset to us over three years here.”