The Indianapolis Colts saw their four-game winning streak end with Week 9’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Indianapolis is hoping to rebound Sunday in the NFL’s first-ever game in Berlin. The Colts will “host” the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10 as Indy is the honorary home team at Olympic Stadium in Germany.
The country is not entirely new to football, as Munich has hosted two NFL games (in 2022 and 2024). However, the Falcons-Colts clash is the first to take place in Berlin. And Colts owner/CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon is working on winning over fans.
Prior to Sunday’s game, Irsay-Gordon appeared at a pub with a bullhorn and announced in German that the next round was on her, per the team’s official X account. “Go Colts!” she added, eliciting a cheer from the crowd.
Colts set to play first NFL ‘home’ game in Berlin
After conquering America and getting a foothold in England, Roger Goodell has continued the NFL’s international push. Madrid is up next, as the Spanish capital will host a game in Week 11. Australia will debut in 2026, with a matchup in Melbourne. And the league has Ireland in its plans for future expansion.
The Colts will test the waters in Berlin on Sunday and the team’s representatives are doing what they can to help establish a fanbase.
Irsay-Gordon took control of the Colts when her father, Jim Irsay, passed away earlier this year. Irsay left the team to his three daughters, who all have roles in the organization. But Irsay-Gordon has assumed a leadership position with the franchise.
The Colts’ co-owner has been heavily involved in the team this season. She’s even been seen on the sideline wearing a headset. She addressed the move by explaining “I need to learn more about this. I need to be able to say, ‘is this person full of BS? Do they even know what they're talking about?'”
While Irsay-Gordon’s first season at the helm started smoothly, the Colts hit a bump in the road last week. Indianapolis lost to the Steelers as Daniel Jones turned the ball over five times. Colts fans are hoping Week 9’s disaster was an anomaly. Jones and company had jumped out to a 7-1 record before the loss to Pittsburgh.
Clearly, the front office believes in its new quarterback. The Colts went all in at the trade deadline, landing Sauce Gardner in a deal with the New York Jets. The All-Pro cornerback cost Indy two first-round draft picks.
