New England Patriots Playing Oakland Raiders in Mexico City Next Season

FOXBOROUGH, MA — It's official, the New England Patriots are heading south of the border next year.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Wednesday that the team will travel to Estadio Azteca in Mexico City to face the Oakland Raiders. For the Raiders, the match is their second in a row in Mexico. Once again, they will be the home team.

“The largest crowd the Patriots have played in front of was in Mexico City in 1998,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. “It was a great experience and I am looking forward to our return. I know that we have a lot of passionate Patriots fans in Mexico. We have had plenty of success in international games and I attribute that to our tremendous fan support in those venues. I look forward to meeting some of our fantastic fans and enjoying the food and culture there in the fall."

This season, the Raiders beat the Houston Texans in the international showdown. The Patriots haven't played outside of the United States since 2012 when they easily beat the then-St. Louis Rams at Wembley Stadium in London.

Since the NFL International Series started in 2007, the Patriots have played twice, both times in London and both times picking up a win.

The date of the game will be announced when the NFL scheduled is released in April.