Roger Goodell expects 16 international games a year soon, including some in Asia

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is pushing for the league's international series to include more games on more continents.

Goodell told Pat McAfee that the NFL is serious about establishing itself as a mainstream sport around the world, and he mentioned that the league could play its first game in Asia soon.

"We're not looking to be a circus when we go in," Goodell said. "We want to be there, we want to put roots in, we want to start getting kids playing flag or tackle football, we want to have engagement all year round, which means media coverage year-round. We want our sponsors and partners active through the year. We're looking to build this over the long term. I do believe we can get to 16 games in 16 different markets, or you might double up like we're doing in the UK right now. Germany is a strong market too. We had a great experience in Brazil last year, we're looking forward to going back there. We'll be back in Mexico as soon as the stadium is done — they're re-doing it for the World Cup. I think we'll get to Asia pretty soon. I think we can get worldwide with our games."

Goodell said he thinks the NFL can establish a significant fan base around the world and become known as a popular league outside the United States.

"I'm confident our game is so great that we can be popular on a global basis," Goodell said.