London mayor says he wants Super Bowl to come to city: 'Really important for us'

The Super Bowl has never left the United States

One of the biggest sporting events of the year is taking place at Wembley Stadium in London this weekend, when Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund play in the Champions League final.

The city's mayor, Sadiq Khan, said Thursday that he wants to make London the "sporting capital of the world," and this summer is a nice tryout for him.

After this weekend's soccer match, the city will also host Major League Baseball, the Wimbledon Championships, Olympic warmups and other premier contests throughout the summer.

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NFL in London

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in London, England, prior to the NFL match between New York Giants and Green Bay Packers on October 9, 2022.  (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

There's plenty more than Khan wants, including the spectacle of American sports: The Super Bowl.

"The Super Bowl is really important for us. We have a number of American football games and I want it to come here because we want American sports fans in Europe to come to London to watch them, not just go to America," Khan said, via The Athletic, while also noting he wants to host WrestleMania.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

General view prior to the NFL match between Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 15, 2023, in London, England.  (Vincent Mignott/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

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The National Football League first traveled to London in 2007, when the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins, 13-10, at Wembley Stadium - it was the first NFL game held outside of North America.

London has hosted at least one NFL game in each year since, short of 2020, with multiple in every year since 2013. The most the city has seen is four, both in 2017 and 2019.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have made the trip each year since 2013 and have played two games there in each of the last two seasons. 

The Super Bowl, though, has never been played outside the United States. WWE has gone global, including several of its pay per views, but WrestleMania has not left North America. Thirty-eight have been in the U.S., while two have been in Canada, but not since 2002.

Jags at Wembley Stadium

A general view of the Jacksonville Jaguars Welcome to Wembley signage before an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium on October 1, 2023, in Wembley, England.  (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

The NFL has also played games in Mexico and Germany and will be in Brazil this year.

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Authored by Ryan Morik via FoxNews May 31st 2024