The NFL may be watched “only” in the U.S. or Canada and could even be understood only by North Americans. However, it’s fast gaining traction in other countries as well. Particularly in soccer-centric Europe, the fondness for the gridiron is finally taking off. France, Spain, Germany, the U.K., and Poland are all enthusiastic American football audiences. Hooray!
Image source: mmqb.si.com
For Europeans, gridiron is a weird sport. It’s called American football, but players seldom (or never) kick the ball. The pitch is also marked with plenty of lines and numbers that they barely understand. Unlike soccer, rules are much easier to comprehend, and the pitch has fewer visual distractions.
At the Oneida High School, exchange students from France and Spain enjoyed their first taste of American football. While they still prefer soccer, playing America’s most popular sport was not bad at all.
In Poland, U.S.-born coach Brad Arbon was hired to supervise and train players of the Polish national team. The country’s strong dedication toward the sport is eminent in its growing number of American football programs especially designed for its citizens.
Image source: thenews.pl
Outside the U.S., Germany is perhaps the best playing country for American football. There are currently about 500 teams playing the sport in Deutschland, from youth flag football to the senior semi-professional level. According to German Football League chairman Carsten Dalkowski, half the people playing American football throughout Europe come from Germany.
My name is Jason Goldblatt and I have been watching, following, and writing about American football for many years. True-blue fan here. Subscribe to my blog for more articles about this amazing sport.
Jason Goldblatt 