Everywhere you go, there are Dallas Cowboys fans. That’s why the nickname “America’s Team” has stuck around for so long. But for some teams, fan bases extend well beyond the United States. Football fans are all over the world, which is why the NFL has been so interested in continuing their International Series. This Wednesday, the league announced it would return to Mexico in 2020 and 2021.
We don’t know which teams will be playing yet, but we do know DeMarcus Lawrence would love it if it were the Cowboys. “Dallas Cowboys in Mexico is a no brainer!” he tweeted out after the news broke out.
The NFL’s most recent series in Mexico began in 2016 with the Houston Texans and the Oakland Raiders but it wasn’t the first time the league visited the country. The record for most fans in a single game in the history of the league is held by a 1994 preseason matchup between the Cowboys and the Oilers… in Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The game drew 112,736 passionate fans to the most iconic stadium in the country.
There are tons of football fans in Mexico, where two professional football leagues have started since 2016 and both are in expansion mode. But more specifically, there is a huge amount of Cowboys fans.
Why a Cowboys game in Mexico would mean so much
According to multiple studies, there are over 20 million NFL fans in Mexico. While the top three teams frequently change places depending on the study, the Cowboys are one of the most followed teams. In a 2019 poll made by Primero y Diez (which translates to First and Ten), 11.4% of Mexican NFL fans root for the Cowboys, ranking third behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots.
We know the Patriots have climbed up the rankings due to their recent success in NFL history while the Cowboys and Steelers have accumulated fans for their past glory, especially in Dallas’ case. In fact, in Mexico, fans consider the Cowboys and Steelers to be a huge rivalry. And not just because of their history in the Super Bowl.
You see, these were the teams that were broadcast on TV in the past. That’s how the Cowboys got their fans, aside from winning, of course. Since 1960, Televisa (one of the top networks in Mexico to this date) started broadcasting the Cowboys’ games nationally. That’s the team most got to see at home every weekend.
The Steelers also got plenty of airtime, making these the top two fan bases in Mexico for a long time. In 2020, many fans – specifically those who got to see the dynasties from both teams – still consider the Cowboys and Steelers a top rivalry.
As a Mexican fan myself, I can tell you how much the Dallas Cowboys mean to NFL fans in Mexico. Even though the Patriots fans have passed them in recent polls, this team has been one of the most popular ones since they were established in 1960.
Azteca Stadium would be wild if America’s Team travels to Mexico City to play a football game. I honestly believe it would be unlike any other recent international NFL game. I hope DeMarcus Lawrence’s tweet manages to make some noise in the league for them to consider it.
