The teams and the location are set! The European League of Football presents Šibenik, Croatia, as the venue for the 2024 International Game. The Hamburg Sea Devils will face league debutants Madrid Bravos in a clash on the Croatian Adriatic coast on August 24. The game will be played in cooperation with the local soccer club HNK Šibenik and will be the crowning finale of the regular season in week 14, marking the first time that an ELF match has taken place outside the home market.

To reach and entertain fans across Europe

ELF Managing Director Zeljko Karajica: "The ELF is growing in all areas, and we are very proud to be able to host the first International Game in Croatia in the 2024 season. This is another huge step in the development of our league, with which we want to reach and entertain fans across Europe. Our idea was received with enthusiasm in Šibenik, and we are looking forward to a big football party. With the International Game, we will further increase awareness of the ELF, provide the best advertising for our sport and thus underline the attractiveness of the league. For the 2024 season, we have set ourselves the goal of welcoming 750,000 spectators to the stadiums - and the game in Šibenik will certainly contribute to this."

Opening up new markets for distribution and sponsors

The fourth ELF season promises not only sport at the highest level, but also a journey through Europe's football landscape with unforgettable moments. The diversity of the participating nations underlines the growing popularity of American football on the continent. With the start of the International Game series, the ELF is opening the door to the Balkan peninsula and almost 75 million sports enthusiasts, thereby simultaneously opening up new markets for distribution partnerships and sponsors.

Both teams are hyped

The two teams are also looking forward to this premiere. "It is an honor for us as Hamburg Sea Devils to represent the ELF as one of two franchises in the first ever International Game. We want to offer the fans a sensational debut in the Balkan region and are delighted with the hospitality we have received. As a new team, the Madrid Bravos are a particularly exciting opponent on this trip," explains Mark Weitz, General Manager of the Hamburg Sea Devils, optimistically looking ahead to the summer.

Madrid Bravos Managing Director Jaime Martín Lostao adds: "It is great to see that the league is committed to its expansion plan. This is a new step towards the consolidation of a multi-country competition in Europe. In the particular case of Madrid Bravos, it is with pleasure that the organization accepts the invitation for playing the first international game ever of the ELF. Although based in Madrid, our franchise's target is to spread the word of football through Spain and Europe. This opportunity matches perfectly with our targets and our commitment with the ELF project."