On 9 June 1991, more than 61,000 spectators piled into Wembley Stadium, setting a record for the quickest rate of ticket sales in the venue’s history. More clothing merchandise was purchased on that day than had ever been sold at an event in the 68 year history of the legendary stadium. Surprisingly, those in attendance were not there to witness a football (soccer) match, nor were they there to see rugby, cricket, or any of the other pastimes that have traditionally dominated the sportscape of the United Kingdom. Rather, they came to watch the World Bowl—the first professional American football championship to take place on European soil.
This paper traces the early days of the National Football League’s internationalisation efforts by examining the history of the oft-forgotten World League of American Football (WLAF)—the world’s first transatlantic professional sports league. Conceived as a developmental project by NFL team owners, the fascinating story behind the World League illustrates the complex relationship between professional sport and American national identity at the global turn. Through business ventures like the WLAF, the NFL attempted to spread the gospel of gridiron football to new fans in new lands—even when such efforts resulted in massive financial losses. ‘We do not see the World League as an instrument for profit,’ declared now-NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell back in 1992. ‘We see it as a tool to make American football more popular…We’d like to expand to the Far East and Latin America.’
Although the WLAF ultimately did not expand to China or Colombia, it did play a pivotal yet hitherto unacknowledged role in the history of American football both within and outside of the United States. I maintain that the creation of the World League was not simply a solipsistic one way street, as has been commonly argued in both academic and popular treatments of the sport. Rather, the NFL used the World League to help innovate and improve its product both at home and abroad. It was thus through the implementation of the WLAF that the most powerful sports business in American history began to seriously globalise the gridiron—even though it meant sacrificing its bottom line.