Philadelphia Eagles fans already planning travel to Brazil for September game
The game will be played in Sao Paulo on Friday, September 6, the day after the NFL season kicks off.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- When the Eagles make the trip to Brazil for the NFL's first regular-season game in South America, there will be fans traveling to see them play.
The NFL says there are about 38 million fans in Brazil interested in the playoffs and the Super Bowl. There are also fans in Philadelphia looking to travel to support the team.
This game will mark the first time the Eagles have played an international game since they played in London in 2018.
The game will be played in Sao Paulo on Friday, September 6, the day after the NFL season kicks off.
According to the Eagles, it will count as one of their nine home games next season. The organization is still trying to figure out whether it will be part of the season ticket holder's package.
"We're pretty excited for the opportunity," Joe DiBiaggio, owner of Phans of Philly, said. "When the league made the announcement last month that there would be a game there, we honestly didn't expect the Eagles to be selected as the team to host it."
They started researching anyway, and what they found is there are currently no direct flights from Philadelphia to Sao Paulo. The connecting flights listed online could take up to 16 hours.
Action News reached out to a representative with the Philadelphia International Airport to see if there is a chance direct flights to Sao Paulo could be added.
"Whenever there is an event that might create a high demand for air service to or from Philadelphia, we alert the airlines. It is up to the airlines to make a decision whether or not they will add flights or service that doesn't currently exist... There is also the possibility that groups might charter flights from PHL to Brazil for the game," airport spokesperson Heather Redfern said.
For now, Phans of Philly is looking at other departure options.
"We will be offering direct flights out of Newark," DiBiaggio said. "There are direct flights on Delta out of JFK."
Another consideration with a trip like this is the language barrier, considering Portuguese is the primary language in Brazil. DiBiaggio says they are looking into hiring translators for the trip to help any fans who do travel.
DiBiaggio says another concern is safety.
"It is just a category two on the travel advisory for crime. Once you get into the threes and the fours, you definitely have to reconsider the travel," he said.
While fans should get their passports ready for the trip, they should also look into acquiring a visa. Starting in April, Brazil is reinstating a visa requirement for all U.S. nationals visiting the country.
As for DiBiaggio, he says they can accommodate up to 300 fans for the five-day trip they're planning. They have heard from several dozen people since the news came out on Monday night.
He says the trip could be pricey, running between $3,000 and $4,000 a person. DiBiaggio says despite the cost, he is confident fans will travel to support the team.
"There will be a ton of Eagles fans, and we will definitely out number the opponent for sure."
The Eagles opponent for the Brazil game has not been announced.
The NFL says the game will likely be played in the Corinthians Arena in Brazil, which seats 49,000 people has played host to World Cup and Olympic Games.
