'Gives Me Goosebumps': Sirianni Fired Up Before Eagles Historic Brazil Opener

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Just days remain before the Eagles open up their 2024 season on a day they've never played on, in a country no NFL team has ever competed in. But for head coach Nick Sirianni, in the exotic and cutting edge is the essence of a very old, very American tradition.

Friday night lights.

"That gives me goosebumps to think about," Sirianni told members of the media during a briefing Tuesday morning. "Friday night football is what we all first (experienced)...This is why we fell in love with this game."

Friday night football is how every young player grows up, from the pee wee level through high school and college. It marks formative memories for all players and coaches who came up in the United States, and in a unique way, it's only fitting that the first ever South American NFL game should be so steeped in the fundamentals of amateur tradition.

"The words came out of my mouth: hey, and we gotta be ready Friday night," Sirianni added. "What an unbelievable thing to say, Friday night."

The 43-year-old coach talked about how his favorite players growing up were high school players from around far western New York, where his father was a high school coach and where, as a child, he watched his brothers compete on Friday night.

In three days, the whole world will watch a Friday night football game like none in history.

The Birds will face off against the Green Bay Packers in São Paulo at 6:15 p.m. eastern time, 7:15 p.m. local time. The game will take place at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, primarily a soccer stadium which was at the center of the world stage when it hosted the 2014 World Cup.

Beyond being the first NFL game ever on the continent, it's also the first time the NFL has had a Friday night game during its opening weekend in more than half a century.

"I'm so excited to get to go to Brazil and play in front of very passionate fans," Sirianni added. "I know how much they care about sports in Brazil."

Raucous crowds should present nothing new to the Birds, or the Packers for that matter, both teams who play home games in arguably the most notorious environments in the country. And Sirianni said that on a more practical level, they're trying to treat it just like another away game. He's looking for movie recommendations for the nine hour flight south.