Robert Kraft says the New England Patriots are coming back to Germany with a simple goal: win. The Patriots will play the Detroit Lions at Allianz Arena on Sunday at 15.30 Uhr, and Kraft described the trip as another step in a relationship with German fans that has grown for years.
Kraft, 85, said the team feels at home in Germany and that the support has extended beyond one country. He pointed to fans in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as part of the wider base that has followed the franchise through different eras. For Kraft, the return to Munich is not just another international game. It is the latest sign that the Patriots’ reach has grown well beyond the United States.
A fan base built over time
The Patriots’ connection to Germany did not happen overnight. Kraft bought the team in January 1994 for 172 million US-Dollar, and he said that the growth of the German fan base has tracked with the club’s success over the years. In his view, those supporters were there through both the good times and the difficult stretches.
He also said that the team’s appeal in Germany comes from what it represents on and off the field. Kraft said he believes fans there connect with hard work, discipline and a team-first approach. He added that when the Patriots played in Frankfurt in 2023, it was especially moving for him, calling it the moment that stood out most.
Why Munich matters
The Patriots became active in Germany in 2017, and the first game in Frankfurt came in 2023. Munich now gives the franchise another chance to connect with a growing audience. Kraft said the last time the team played in Germany, it felt like a Super Bowl atmosphere, which helps explain why the trip carries more weight than a standard regular-season matchup.
That is also why Kraft framed Sunday’s game as more than a travel stop. He said the Patriots are returning to Munich to win, and he wants the team to play better for its German fans than it did in 2023. It is a clear reminder that the international stage brings both visibility and expectations.
The game also fits into a larger NFL pattern. Munich, Frankfurt and other international sites have become part of the league’s expanding footprint, and Allianz Arena is once again set to be one of the sport’s biggest stages. For the Patriots, it is another chance to show that their following in Germany is not a one-off story, but part of something that has been building for years.
Kraft, who said he remains an eternal optimist, made the team’s mission simple. The Patriots are not just visiting Munich. They are returning with the expectation that the support they have built in Deutschland, and across Austria and Switzerland, deserves a result to match it.
