SAO PAULO — “God, I’ve missed this a lot!”
A younger Chiefs fan has a vivid smile on her face on the crowded subway practice in Sao Paulo, Brazil, patiently ready to reach on the Itaquera station. That’s the ultimate cease of line 3, the place a whole bunch of followers will disembark for the highly-anticipated Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs NFL sport on the Neo Quimica Area.
Half of that practice is crammed with 9-to-5 staff who wouldn’t have the ability to afford a ticket to the sport with their month-to-month wage. “Whoever stated two strong objects can’t occupy the identical place on the similar time doesn’t know this line,” one other one claps again.
The practice has change into a sea of coloured jerseys, an inconceivable scene in a spot the place black-and-white jerseys from supporters of superpopular soccer group Corinthians take over the realm at the very least as soon as per week. Almost 1 million of them have been right here up to now in 2025, however proper now it’s time for the oval ball.
Brazilian aficionados, Chiefs/Chargers followers or not, have spent hundreds for an opportunity to attend solely the second ever NFL match to happen in Brazil.
Outdoors the stadium, earlier than the kick off, big helmets picture ops and touchdown-catch play entertain the group whereas dozens of helicopters come and go each hour. “That must be Taylor Swift now,” one says for each chopper that lands.
And in a post-Brady Period. Mahomes is king. His identify is on the shirt of many of the followers strolling up the ramp for the stadium, and Travis Kelce is a distant second. For the informal ones attending the sector for the NFL hype, he’s merely Swift’s fiancee. Nothing unsuitable there, too. Brady was Giselo for years in Brazil, so perhaps he turns into Swifto after his liked one was anticipated to journey all the way in which to Sao Paulo to observe him carry out on the sphere.
A big group of musicians play samba to get issues began, and they’re joined by Inexperienced Day’s Tree Cool. He’s entrance and middle — and having the time of his life. When the nationwide anthems are carried out, “house of the courageous” turns into “house of the Chiefs”. Even in Brazil. Sure, Brazil certainly sounds just like the second house of the Chiefs with a heat reception in a chilly night time.
Nearly all of the Sao Paulo crowd is pro-Kansas Metropolis. Chargers’ performs are showered with boos however celebrated if profitable. When are they attending to see touchdowns once more within the South American metropolis, even in opposition to the group you selected to like? It’s all enjoyable and good for these almost 50,000 followers, particularly for the reason that metropolis of Sao Paulo doesn’t reinforce its no-alcohol rule for NFL video games as it’s for soccer matches, together with ones in that exact same area.
Chargers followers had the final giggle in the long run with a sluggish however dominant first half, together with a disappointing first quarter for Mahomes and the Chiefs. Chargers stopped Chiefs’ comeback try within the last quarter to safe the 27-21 win.
From a enterprise standpoint, the NFL’s Brazilian expertise is already a confirmed success. Regardless of a bump in ticket costs in comparison with final 12 months’s sport, up 35 p.c in sure areas of the stadium, it offered out in hours.
The NFL didn’t disclose the gate for the 2024 and 2025 video games in Brazil, however it’s truthful to say it fully demolished the gate for Brazil’s World Cup qualifying match the night time earlier than in Rio de Janeiro — Brazil vs. Chile drew 57.326 followers for a gate of $1,730,000.
There have been fewer followers on the NFL sport because the stadium is just not as huge as Maracana, however the most cost-effective NFL ticket was dearer than the highest ticket for the soccer match. The worth was 11 instances that quantity for some areas of Neo Quimica Area, which means the NFL would simply triple or quadruple the Brazil-Chile gate.
Media curiosity was large, too, with 280 reporters credentialed for the NFL sport. In Rio de Janeiro, for a a lot widespread sport within the nation, 513 professionals coated Brazil’s 3-0 win with gamers from everywhere in the world, together with stars from Chelsea, Barcelona, Liverpool and PSG. Soccer — or futebol, as they name it down there — remains to be the No. 1 ardour, however soccer is gaining floor 12 months after 12 months.
In 2024, Inexperienced Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles set the attendance file for the stadium at 47,236, and town of Sao Paulo stated it prompted a constructive influence to the native financial system of $61.9 million. Gerrit Meier, head of NFL Worldwide, advised the native media earlier this week that the NFL is “right here to remain” as Brazil video games have change into a “mini Tremendous Bowl” by way of manufacturing.
Followers show a large tifo behind the Chiefs bench proper earlier than the sport began, saying they’re “The nation of soccer” now.
They’re proper — even when for one night time solely.
