On Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet in the NFL's first-ever game in Germany, held at Allianz Arena, home of Bundesliga power Bayern Munich.
The NFL has already played three games in Europe -- all in London -- this season. The league concludes its 2022 international series when the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals meet at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Nov. 21.
Because of the nine-hour time difference between Seattle and Munich, the Seahawks held two practices in less than 24 hours. After practicing in Seattle, the team spent 10 hours on a charter flight. After arriving in Munich on Thursday afternoon, the players quickly stopped at their hotel and went back to the practice field.
"It's like the longest day ever," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told Seahawks.com after the Thursday practice in Germany.
First practice in Germany vibes. πΊπ» pic.twitter.com/BT12IghZJN
β Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 10, 2022
Tampa Bay arrived in Germany early Friday morning (ET).
+++ Tom Brady ist in Deutschland! π± +++
β NFL Deutschland (@NFLDeutschland) November 11, 2022
DAS IST KEINE ΓBUNG - DAS PASSIERT WIRKLICH ... π (via @Buccaneers) pic.twitter.com/ExlDlWvvmJ
Here are some sights from the teams' time in Munich:
John Denver takes Munich
Just watch the entire stadium at Allianz Arena singing to John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" (very popular with the Oktoberfest crowd, I have learned) in the final two minutes pic.twitter.com/PwMUG2Z08n
β JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) November 13, 2022
Fashion before the game
All denim matching the hair. pic.twitter.com/H7FNUt6P2n
β Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 13, 2022
Wir sind eingecheckt. pic.twitter.com/FKDSo7AGPp
β Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 13, 2022
The Bucs are in the building π pic.twitter.com/UScNlbq6Hs
β Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) November 13, 2022
π Tom Brady ist da! #NFLMunichGame pic.twitter.com/MfK9oXC0dQ
β NFL Deutschland (@NFLDeutschland) November 13, 2022
Tom Brady gets new gear
Lederhosen are probably the most well-known, traditional German garb. The knee-length, leather breeches are a common sight at Oktoberfests around the world. Brady got his own pair during his first day in Munich.
Vor ein paar Jahren UNVORSTELLBAR: @TomBrady in Deutschland! π₯ #NFLMunichGame pic.twitter.com/qR2PnKbvUA
β NFL Deutschland (@NFLDeutschland) November 11, 2022
Coaches who know titles
Carroll has two college football national titles and a Super Bowl win. His counterpart, Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann, is just 35 years old and has already won the Bundesliga and the DFL-Supercup.
Pete Carroll π€ @J__Nagelsmann#NFLMunichGame #MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/iJbxGe623Y
β FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) November 11, 2022
Repping the home team
Players from both teams sported Bayern shirts this week. Brady even got a customized No. 12 jersey.
Mia san Brady! π #NFLMunichGame (via @FCBayern/@TomBrady) pic.twitter.com/QaLP2pyovd
β NFL Deutschland (@NFLDeutschland) November 12, 2022
Repping the home team, @FCBayernEN. π pic.twitter.com/b9bxwVhgbh
β Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 11, 2022
12s around town
Seahawks fans are everywhere it seems.
A Blue Friday in Germany. Hallo 12s! #12sEverywhere pic.twitter.com/cWxrjLe3Ws
β Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 11, 2022
PROST π» It's Blue Friday! @Seahawks | @NFLDeutschland pic.twitter.com/z5LuvSrVKa
β 12s (@12s) November 11, 2022
The NFL said it had a queue of 800,000 people trying to get tickets to the game in a stadium that holds 70,000.
Markus Jantke, a 45-year-old German Bucs fan, went through some drama to get his tickets.
The day tickets went on sale to the general public in July, he happened to be driving to Munich and pulled over to a rest stop to join the queue.
"After half an hour of waiting and No. 400,000 on the waiting list, I quit and go on to Munich," Jantke told ESPN's Jenna Laine. "Twenty minutes later, I got a call from a friend. She asked if I wanted to go the game with her. ... Ten minutes later, another guy called me, 'Markus, I got four tickets!'"
Read more about the German fan experience
Fans flock to Allianz Arena
Sneak Peek aus der Allianz Arena! π #NFLMunichGame pic.twitter.com/KTZQWEGMhM
β NFL Deutschland (@NFLDeutschland) November 13, 2022
Germany has become the NFL's top market in Europe - selling more products, video games, and Game Pass subscriptions than the U.K.
β Front Office Sports (@FOS) November 13, 2022
Today, the league's merchandise has taken over Munich.pic.twitter.com/fcWI205R9l