FA to net £2m boost after Jacksonville Jaguars agree to play game at Wembley this year

The NFL will return to Wembley for the first time in three years this autumn providing a £2 million boost to the Football Association’s finances.

Sportsmail has learned that Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to bring one of their eight ‘home’ games in the 2022 campaign to Wembley, in addition to two matches in the NFL’s newly created international round that will be staged at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Jaguars, the franchise of Fulham owner Shahid Khan who failed in his £600 million bid to buy Wembley four years ago, played one match each season at the national stadium from 2013 and 2019, although that contract has now expired. The FA are also in advanced talks over another multi-year deal with the Jaguars.

Any new staging contract for the Jaguars will lead to renewed speculation about the franchise relocating to London on a permanent basis, but that prospect has not advanced significantly in recent years.

The Jaguars’ game will net the FA at least £2m in ticket and hospitality revenue in a significant boost after losing events in the pandemic.

The Jaguars’ scheduled Wembley fixture in 2020 was cancelled and they did not return last year, although Spurs did stage two games this season as part of their separate 10-year deal with the NFL.

The expanded international round will see each of the 32 NFL teams play at least one of their 17 fixtures overseas. In addition to London, games will be played in Germany, Mexico and Canada.