NFL enthusiasts in Brazil will never forget the night of September 6, 2024. However, it was bittersweet for Green Bay Packers fans. Green Bay lost, 34-29, and Jordan Love suffered an MCL sprain with just five seconds left in the fourth quarter, which will sideline him for three to six weeks.
I arrived in São Paulo on Thursday morning and spent the afternoon sightseeing. In the evening, I attended the CheeseheadTV/Packers Brazil meetup in the heart of the city.
The highlight for many was finally meeting friends they had known online for years.(Among the different groups of friends I met up with was Wendell Ferreira, a sports editor and NFL and Packers writer who previously covered Green Bay for Zone Coverage.)
On Friday, fans were allowed into the stadium starting at 5:15 p.m., and many organized tailgate parties. There was an NFL Shop section, where fans took pictures with helmets from the Eagles and Packers. You could also pose with the Lombardi Trophy or try a quarterback challenge.
However, the most random and amusing moment was former offensive lineman Russell Okung performing capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian cultural expression that blends martial arts, dance, and music.
You could spot jerseys from all 32 NFL teams throughout the city and in the stadium. Cheeseheads Brazil had their own personalized Jordan Love flag, referencing Brazil’s fifth FIFA World Cup title in 2002. The flag showed Love with Ronaldo Nazário’s iconic 2002 haircut, symbolizing Green Bay’s chase for their fifth Super Bowl title. It was a clever and fitting tribute.
A surprising highlight for me was people asking for a photo with me. I had no idea how to react, but I welcomed every single one. It feels fitting that Zone Coverage will publish this article because it’s the first place that gave me a chance and opened so many doors, making everything possible.
I entered the stadium around 8 p.m., and it was packed by 9, with 47,236 people filling in the 50,000-capacity at Neo Química Arena. The crowd reacted with a mix of cheers and boos as Green Bay and Philadelphia took the field for warmups. The stadium erupted when Jaire Alexander took the field with a Brazilian flag. Moreover, seeing how seriously Brazilians took their national anthem was astonishing. Everyone in the stadium sang the anthem with full intensity. It was an incredible experience.
Green Bay and Philadelphia’s offenses struggled with the noise throughout the game, forcing Love and Jalen Hurts to sometimes use a silent count while in shotgun. I nearly had a syncope during Jayden Reed’s 33-yard rushing touchdown. The same happened when Xavier McKinney intercepted Hurts on third-and-15. I was also upset with Jaire Alexander’s decision to take the ball out of the end zone after Hurts’ second interception.
The best crowd moment of the night came when everyone started singing “Evidências,” a popular Brazilian romantic song. The stadium’s speakers played it during a TV timeout, but the music stopped when the game resumed. Despite this, fans continued singing, leaving players on both sidelines visibly puzzled. It was a fun and memorable moment.
Of course, we must address the elephant in the room: the poor field conditions. Due to the subpar surface, the Packers and Eagles struggled to stay on their feet. Improving the field conditions will be essential if the league returns to Brazil. Despite this issue, the NFL should be encouraged to return because the benefits of the event far outweigh the drawbacks.
