In today's NFL, Roger Goodell and league officials have stated on multiple occasions that they plan to bring a team to London. Due to the success of games happening in the U.K., they've outright stated that they're planning on bringing an expansion team to the country in the near future.

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Recently, Goodell stated they might bring multiple teams, and start a Europe division. If that happens, it would be cool, but it wouldn't be breaking any new ground. The reason is that for over a decade, there was an entire league, called NFL Europe that existed that had teams everywhere from Canada to Germany.

10 The League Was Founded in 1989

World League of American Football

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The process of starting a football league isn't easy, and it's even harder when you're starting the league in a country where it's not the top sport. As early as 1974, the NFL began the process of attempting to form a league in Europe, but they failed to find any success.

In 1989, the league finally felt comfortable enough to get started. The debut season was set for 1991 and had teams from the United States, Canada, and Europe. Instead of having the NFL brand, the league was titled the World League of American Football.

9 The Rules Were Experimental

New Jersey Knights NFL Europe

© RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

In the modern NFL, for better or for worse, the rules essentially stay the same. Beyond occasionally trying out things in the Pro Bowl (which will soon be discontinued), the league just rolls their existing rule-sets and the way they play the game.

In NFL Europe, they were far more willing to bend the rules and try out new ones, similar to The Rock's XFL. For example, overtime rules in the European league were far closer to NCAA college football, than professional, as they would allow teams to each get a possession.

8 There Were Multiple Future Stars

Super Bowl 34

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NFL Europe was a league that was viewed as a step below the NFL and for good reason. For the most part, the league was a mix of older veterans looking for one more shot, or younger players that couldn't make the big stage, to begin with.

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However, there were some diamonds in the rough in NFL Europe. There were several future NFL Pro Bowl stars who got their start in the league such as Kurt Warner, Adam Vinatieri, and Dante Hall.

7 The League Was Suspended in 1993

Barcelona Dragons

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The World League of American Football wasn't exactly doing well in their first few seasons. The league was actually doing very well in the way of attendance, but outside of that, the league was struggling to gain any momentum.

Television ratings were especially terrible. In 1993, the league decided to temporarily suspend all games, and take two years to assess the move forward.

6 NFL Europe Was Formed in 1995

NFL Europe 1992

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1995, the World League of American Football was brought back. Along with the league returning, they decided to finally make an actually great move, which is changing the name of the European league.

They renamed the league NFL Europe, which rolls off the tongue a lot better than the original name. While a name change wouldn't fix everything, hopes were high heading into the 1995 season.

5 They Relocated Several Teams

Ohio Glory NFL Europe

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When NFL Europe was formed in 1995, they decided to make several changes beyond the name. One of the biggest changes was that they dropped having teams in America and Canada, and decided to go all-in on Europe.

In addition to having several teams in the United Kingdom, they also expanded to other countries as well. Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands all got teams, to varying degrees of success.

4 Teams Used The League To Develop Players

Brock Lesnar UFC Cropped (2)
Mark J. Rebilas- USA Today Network

Many NFL teams had their own counterpart in NFL Europe. For example, the Minnesota Vikings could use a player as a representative overseas and retain his rights while he improves, and they get the luxury of not using a roster spot on him.

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Many, many NFL teams took advantage of this rule and used players as representatives in NFL Europe. A fun fact is the aforementioned Vikings attempted to use Brock Lesnar in this role, but he declined as he sought a career in MMA instead.

3 The League Wasn't Profitable

NFL: Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns

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NFL Europe had teams all across the globe, had massive television deals, and had name power, as players such as Kurt Warner became stars in the big leagues. Despite all of that and the massive cash influx into the product, they couldn't turn a profit.

In the early seasons of NFL Europe, fan attendance was actually sky-high. However, over time, that too would go down, and teams would dissolve due to the low numbers of attendance.

2 NFL Europe Was Closed in 2007

In 2007, the NFL decided to finally call it quits, and shut down NFL Europe. It was ultimately the recently appointed Roger Goodell who pulled the trigger, but the move was a long time coming. The league nearly folded in 2003, as several owners lobbied for the move.

Ultimately, the league saw all teams shut down, as expected. However, some teams, such as the Frankfurt Universe, have been founded as an homage to the original team located in their city.

1 Replaced By NFL International Series

NFL: International Series-New York Giants at Green Bay Packers

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Since the closure of NFL Europe, the NFL has decided to go and try and expand its outreach into Europe in a different capacity. What they've settled on was the NFL International Series, which is a series of games that occur each year outside the United States.

The league has held games in the U.K., Mexico, and Toronto. The NFL has also recently stated they intend to hold games in the Chinese and German markets as well.