Patriots Passports: New England Has Lengthly International History
The New England Patriots have become one of the biggest brands in sports across the United States. They've also become a global brand thanks to some recent traveling overseas.
For the third time in four seasons, the Patriots will be packing their passports to head abroad for a regular season game. Leaks online have alluded to the fact that New England is set to play the Detroit Lions in Munich on Nov. 15 this season -- just the second time the Patriots have ever played a game in Germany.
So that begs the question. Where else have the Patriots gone outside the confines of the continental US for a game?
Overall, the team has a pretty lengthy history when it comes to international play and will be adding to that list within the year.
1969 vs Detroit Lions in Montreal (Preseason)
The first international game for the Patriots in their brief history was an interleague game. At the time, the Boston Patriots were still part of the AFL and faced off against the NFL's Lions in an exhibition game. Less than 9,000 fans attended the game at Montreal's Jarry Park (the prior home of the Montreal Expos), and the Lions walked away with a 22-9 victory.
1990 vs Pittsburgh Steelers in Montreal (Preseason)
More than 20 years later, the Patriots returned to Montreal for another preseason game. This time was against the Steelers at Olympic Stadium in another poorly attended game (26,869 fans attended). Dubbed the "American Bowl," both sides threw pick-sixes, but Pittsburgh booted three field goals to win, 30-14.
1993 vs Cleveland Browns in Toronto (Preseason)
This was the first live NFL game in the history of Toronto, but it was another losing effort for New England. Played at the SkyDome, the Browns -- led by head coach Bill Belichick -- won the game 12-9 after neither team could score a touchdown.
1998 vs Dallas Cowboys in Mexico City (Preseason)
The final international preseason game in franchise history, the Patriots decided to go south of the border this time to face off against the Cowboys. Maybe the change was good, as the Patriots knocked off Dallas 21-3 at Estadio Azteca. It was an exhibition game that New England head coach Pete Carroll did not want to play in the first place, but gave the Patriots their first international victory.
2007 vs Seattle Seahawks in Beijing (Preseason - Canceled)
Originally dubbed the "China Bowl," both the Patriots and Seahawks were set to do battle in Beijing in 2007. It was supposed to be a kickoff event ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics in the country, but was later rescheduled to 2009. The game never happened, as the Patriots shut down their operations in China following the 2008 recession and New England was awarded a regular season game instead.
2009 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers in London
This was the game that the Patriots were given after the China Bowl fallout, and it was a total blowout. The Patriots picked off three passes, including one returned for a touchdown by Brandon Meriweather, to rout the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-7 at Wembley Stadium. Tom Brady had 308 passing yards and three touchdowns, and Tampa Bay fell to 0-7 on the season.
2012 vs St. Louis Rams in London
Three seasons later, New England returned to Wembley Stadium for another blowout. After falling behind 7-0, the Patriots rattled off 45-straight points to cruise to a 45-7 win. Brady threw four touchdowns, including a pair to Rob Gronkowski, and both Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen rushed for scores in the victory.
2017 vs Oakland Raiders in Mexico City
Back to Mexico City. The Patriots faced off against the Raiders in 2017, and just like the previous two international games, it was another blowout for New England, winning 33-8. The Patriots raced out to a 30-0 lead after Stephen Gostkowski drilled a then-franchise record 62-yard field goal to close the first half and Brady and Brandin Cooks connected on a 64-yard touchdown to break it wide open.
2023 vs Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt
After three-straight blowouts, the Patriots came to Germany and played one of the worst games in franchise history. Against a lowly Colts squad, New England could only muster two field goals in a 10-6 snoozefest. The main takeaways from this game was Chad Ryland missing a 35-yard field goal in the second half, and Mac Jones throwing a back-breaking interception in the red zone.
2024 vs Jacksonville Jaguars in London
The Patriots returned to London, this time under new head coach Jerod Mayo and new quarterback Drake Maye. It didn't turn out well for the Patriots, as the Jaguars scored 22 points in the second quarter -- including 96-yard punt return touchdown from Parker Washington -- to run away with a 32-16 win. Two unlikely names (JaMycal Hasty, KJ Osborn) scored the lone touchdowns for the Patriots.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots Passports: New England Has Lengthly International History.
Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 4:00 AM.