Tonight, the NFL's first game in South America kicks off when the Eagles take on the Green Bay Packers (8:15 PM EST, Peacock/NBC10 in Philadelphia). NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell attended the Eagles' walkthrough on Thursday at Arena Corinthians, the site of tonight's historic game, and discussed the decision to bring the NFL experience to Brazil and Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie's role in the global expansion of the league.

Why did the NFL decide to hold a game of this magnitude in São Paulo, Brazil as part of the Kickoff Weekend? "We really did want to get to South America. Brazil is a global marketplace where they've had Olympics, they've had World Cups. We thought São Paulo was great. The stadium is a big part of that decision. I think we felt like we could create a real success here and you build off success. When you build a success here, the likelihood of us going to Rio (de Janeiro) at some point after this is pretty high. We had the same experience in Germany. We played in Munich, the first one (in 2022), then Frankfurt (in 2023). I think you build off that success and show them what this really is. The local people here, not just fans, but public officials, corporate officials, they all look to say, 'We need to have that back.'"

Why were the Eagles selected as one of the teams to showcase the game in Brazil? "It's one of the great franchises, one of the great fan bases. Jeffrey Lurie is as enthusiastic about international growth as anyone in our league. I think he's got that vision of what the NFL should be. He's one of the more innovative owners and I think he wants to share the Philadelphia Eagles with the world. We find that really attractive. His passion behind this is a big part of that."

Jeffrey Lurie has overseen the Eagles during your entire tenure as NFL Commissioner. What has your interaction with him been over the years? "Jeffrey is one of those owners who I speak to frequently because he has such a broad perspective and an important global view. He's been on our Finance Committee for decades, but he's also been on the International Committee. The interaction I've seen from him there is, 'Yes, we can. Yes, we can. You can play (international) regular-season games. Yes, we can.' He's that can-do kind of owner and that helps in the room because Jeffrey's point of view has an influence. He's ahead of the time."

How will the NFL measure success with this game here in Brazil? "I'm not sure people know what to expect. Sure, the ticket sales are great, but when they're in here, they start to feel the passion. To give you an example, in Munich a couple of years ago, they were still singing and enjoying the moment 40 minutes after the game. That's what we're trying to create is those amazing moments that our fans never forget. NFL football is not just a game. There's all of the entertainment and experiences around that. When you have that, we want to share it with the people here.

"The operational part of it, this is the regular season. This counts. It's the first one of the year. We want them (the teams) to be able to do what they're going to do professionally and what they're here to do, which is win. We make sure we get them back safely and quickly, too."

You've been NFL Commissioner since 2006, what are you looking forward to as another season gets underway? "I always look forward to it like a fan – the anticipation, the surprises both personally, the individuals who perform incredibly well to some who you maybe didn't expect, rookies or veterans. And the team performances, I mean the great thing about the NFL is that it's so competitive, the nature of this league, you can go from last to first. Unfortunately, you can go from first to last. I think that's what makes the league so much fun. I think this year, particularly as a Commissioner, I'm really looking forward to the kickoff to see how that evolves, the impact that has on the league."