Kansas City Chiefs executive says team want to play in Ireland next year

The comments from Lara Krug, Chiefs Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice-President, come less than three weeks before the first NFL regular-season clash in Ireland between the Steelers and Vikings.

While there is no guarantee that the league will return in 2026, Sport Minister Patrick O’Donovan said last week that the state would push for more NFL games and events in Ireland, and Krug’s comments have added to the belief that this month’s game will not be a one-off.

Speaking in Sao Paulo as the Chiefs travelled to play the LA Chargers, Krug explained how Ireland fits into the Chiefs’ desire to be the “world’s team”.

“Who gets to play internationally is really the league's decision as to the schedule every year, but we always have our hand raised to participate. We hope to be chosen to play in Ireland next season,” Krug said.

“Clark Hunt, our chairman and CEO, sits on the international committee. That has really been a key pillar of our organisation from the very beginning when we played preseason games all over the world. So between growing flag football, doing content around the world and building media partners, we are interested in Ireland,” she added.

Krug also announced that the team, who have played in five of the last six Super Bowls, are bringing an immersive experience known as the ‘Chiefs House’ to Dublin leading up to the NFL game in Croke Park on September 28. And to add an Irish-specific flavour to their international expansion, they have also unveiled their Irish mascot, KC O’Wolf - complete with green white and orange golf trousers - to help connect with Irish fans, especially of younger generations.

“We’re bringing our Chiefs House experience to all international games this year, regardless if we're playing or not. And I think that's something that was really important to us,” said Krug.

“We kicked it off here in Brazil. It is all about the taste of the tailgate, the sound of the stadium, learning about the Chiefs history and a really interactive way in the players.

“We are doing something that’s a bit different and really being in the city and country as much as possible, even when we’re not playing.

“And each country will have its own mascot. I think that will be a really important part to really have an ongoing touchpoint in Ireland to interact and engage with the fans.”

There are six teams who have marketing rights in Ireland through the NFL’s Global Markets Programme, an initiative designed to increase fan interaction outside the United States in a way where not all 32 teams are battling for attention.

The Steelers are ahead of the pack in Ireland, thanks to an early start and them bringing a game here, but the Chiefs are poised to also make their mark, with the potential of playing a game in Ireland a large step.

Our overall strategy is that we want to become the world's team,” Krug added. “We want to be everywhere that we can where fans have a desire to be a Chiefs fan. And so Ireland, while the country itself may be small in terms of population and size, that doesn’t deter us.

“We talk about being Chiefs Kingdom, we talk about being the loudest stadium in the world to be heard around the world. And I feel like when you see Irish fans and Irish people, their passion for the things that they love certainly comes through.

“And so for us, we want to capture a bit of that Irish fan passion as part of Chiefs Kingdom.”

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