Ahead of the NFL Schedule Release, Pittsburgh Steelers fans were anxious to see which opponent they would be facing internationally and when that game would come. We've speculated since December that the Steelers would host a game in Dublin, Ireland, but fans remained guessing at the fine details.
Now, we finally have a date, time, and opponent for this contest. Good Morning Football announced that the Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, October 5, at 9:30 am Eastern Time. The game will be played at Croke Park in Dublin and will air on NFL Network. This will be the first time that the Steelers will play an international regular-season game in Ireland.
Steelers' team president Art Rooney II and his family have a rich history with Ireland. His family is originally from Newry, County Down. Rooney's father, Daniel M. Rooney, was a U.S. Ambassador to Ireland from 2009-2012.
The Steelers played a preseason game in Ireland against the Chicago Bears in 1997 at Croke Park, winning the contest 30-17. Pittsburgh's last international game during the regular season came in 2013 in London, England. Ironically, this game was against the Minnesota Vikings—a game that ultimately ended in a 28-24 loss.
A rumor dropped over the weekend that the Steelers would be playing the Vikings in Dublin. Now we have confirmation.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland
The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't faced the Minnesota Vikings since December 9, 2021. This was one of Ben Roethlisberger's final games before his retirement after the 2021 season. This contest was played in Minnesota, and Pittsburgh found themselves in a 29-0 deficit mid-way through the third quarter.
The Vikings would go on to beat the Steelers in a 36-28 contest that was never as close as the score indicated. Now Art Rooney II is seeking revenge, not on his home turf in Pittsburgh, but in his home away from home in Dublin.
At the time of the NFL schedule release, Aaron Rodgers remains unsigned. This game will occur on October 5, and we can't say who will be under center for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Still, it's been over a decade since this team has played an international game, and fans around the globe will be tuning in to catch the action in Dublin.