The NFL will not play in Mexico in 2020. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

NFL cancels 2020 international games due to coronavirus

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 5/4/20

If the National Football League hosts games at any point in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, those contests will only occur in the United States.

On Monday, the NFL canceled all scheduled international fixtures in London and Mexico City for the year.

NFL update on 2020 season schedule.
— NFL UK (@NFLUK) May 4, 2020

London mayor Sadiq Khan released a statement via the official Wembley Stadium website:

“While the NFL’s many fans in London, the UK and Europe will obviously be disappointed by this news, it is absolutely the right decision to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the sport. I know that the NFL remains fully committed to London and I look forward to welcoming NFL teams back to the capital in 2021.”

As noted by ESPN, the NFL planned for the Jacksonville Jaguars to host two games at Wembley and two other contests to occur at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the fall. Estadio Azteca in Mexico City was set to feature a game that involved the Arizona Cardinals as the home team.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected sports around the world. England's Premier League remains on hiatus, and no return date for the country's top-flight competition has been announced.

The NFL has largely conducted business as normal throughout its new year despite the virus outbreak. A virtual NFL Draft occurred as scheduled in late April. On Saturday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the NFL intends to release a full 17-week schedule for the 2020 campaign by May 9 at the latest.

"We plan to start on time," league spokesman Brian McCarthy told Fowler about the upcoming season.

More must-reads: