CNN
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The NFL game between the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles will feature a unique backdrop on Friday, with the two teams taking the field in São Paulo, Brazil.

The Week 1 match between two National Football Conference (NFC) play-off contenders will be played at the Neo Química Arena, home of Brazilian soccer team SC Corinthians, and can seat over 49,000 fans.

It is the NFL’s first-ever regular season game in South America and the first time in more than 50 years that the NFL plays a game on the Friday night of opening weekend.

The game is part of the NFL’s growing International Series, five of which will be played overseas this season.

According to NFL.com, the league has 38 million fans in Brazil, where the sport is popular among younger fans thanks to a strong social media presence.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love said the team has felt the excitement since arriving in the country.

“I’m excited to be here. It’s an amazing experience, a once in a lifetime experience, to play the first ever NFL game here in Brazil,” he told reporters. “It’s been nothing but love since we’ve been here. Fans were at the airport last night, they’re at the hotel, so definitely a lot of love and I’m excited to see what the atmosphere is like in the stadium tomorrow for the game.”

Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur added: “We are very excited to be here in Brazil, your country has been great to us. The people are fantastic. We look forward to making history tomorrow and are really looking forward to playing the Philadelphia Eagles to start the 2024 season.”

“I am very grateful for the way Brazil and the city of São Paulo have welcomed us and me and for the excitement that all this brings,” said Eagles QB Jalen Hurts.

“Everything has just been first class since the moment we set foot in this country. We’re just very grateful and looking forward to playing in front of your fans.”

While thousands of Brazilians are excited to see history being made and the teams are eager to get started, there is still some trepidation among some players.

Eagles cornerback Darius Slay recently said on his podcast that he did not want to go to Brazil after being told there were security concerns in the country.

According to data from Statista, Brazil is the 17th most dangerous country in the world in terms of murder rate. However, it is lower than other Latin American countries, such as Mexico, where the NFL has already played four International Series games.

“They’ve already told us not to leave the hotel. They’ve told us we can’t do too much because the crime is insane,” he said.

Slay has since apologized for offending Brazilian fans, saying he was now looking forward to playing in your beautiful country, in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Slay wasn’t the only Eagles player with concerns, though. According to Reuters , Philadelphia wide receiver AJ Brown told reporters, “We had a meeting with a lot of ‘Don’t Do’s.’ So I’m just trying to go out there, win a football game and come home,” adding that the team advised players not to walk around with their cell phones on the street.

According to the Associated Press news agency, the government of the state of São Paulo has indicated that additional security will be introduced for the teams.

“Our police will be reinforced throughout the week to ensure the safety of the public for this historic match, with officers on the streets and avenues around the stadium, on public transport, in hotels and in tourist areas of the city,” the security secretariat said, per AP.

On the field, the Eagles hope to make a fresh start and forget how last season ended.

Despite starting last year in blistering form, the Eagles’ season completely fell apart towards the end of the season, culminating in a disappointing loss in the NFC Wild Card round to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Eagles’ midseason disappointment was further compounded when fan favorite and star player Jason Kelce announced his retirement from the NFL.

Kelce was a cornerstone of Philadelphia’s offense. A seven-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro selection, the player spent his entire 13-season NFL career with the Eagles.

The star’s influence is still felt, however. Kelce was featured in a video promoting the game in Brazil, which the Eagles posted on social media.

Some of the disappointment over Kelce’s departure was mitigated by the arrival of star forward Saquon Barkley. Barkley, formerly of the New York Giants, brings another exciting element to Philadelphia’s already star-studded offense.

With star quarterback Jalen Hurts, Brown, receiver DeVonta Smith and Barkley among the Eagles’ impressive arsenal of offensive talent, the Packers will have to rely on a strong defense if they want to pull off a win in Brazil, especially since Philly means business.

“I think at the end of the day, we came here to do a job. And our job is not to come and sightsee or anything like that,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters. “Our job is to come here and play a football game against a very good opponent, the Green Bay Packers, and try to win this football game. Our job is to focus on that.”

Green Bay starts the new season with an impressive campaign.

Led by quarterback Jordan Love, the Packers looked like a team on the rise in 2023, highlighted by an impressive 48-32 NFC Wild Card win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Love had a huge breakout year in 2023, showing the potential that people predicted he would have when he was selected 26th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Green Bay’s talented offense has also been bolstered by star forward Josh Jacobs, who joined the Packers in the offseason and will be a valuable addition to the team’s rushing game this year.

There will be another unique twist on Friday: the Eagles will wear a black and white kit for the match in São Paulo.

The kit will mirror that of the football team Corinthians who will host the match. Green, a colour that has become synonymous with the Eagles, happens to be the colour of Corinthians’ fierce rivals, Palmeiras.