``We have a great fan base there that's been growing in recent years,'' said NFL Chief Operating Officer Roger Goodell. ``Our sponsors and licensees [in Mexico] made it clear that it would be an interesting opportunity. We think we'll have a great crowd.'' The move marks a ramping up of the NFL 's longtime strategy to popularize American-style football overseas. For decades, the league has taken teams abroad to play pre-season games, known as American Bowls, in an effort to build fan followings and find new markets to sell television rights and other licensing deals. Goodell said that the time was ripe for a ``real'' game because fans have grown more sophisticated and want to see more than a show match. ``This is the next big step for the NFL ,'' said Jim Riordan, director of Florida Atlantic University's sport management MBA program. Mexico was chosen for the season game for several reasons, according to Goodell, not the least of which is that it dovetails with the football league's efforts to promote football to Hispanics who live stateside. Mexico boasts the biggest fan base outside the United States, 20 million, according to the NFL , and almost all NFL games are televised there.

``It's one of our most rapidly growing markets,'' Goodell said, adding that the NFL is very popular with English-speaking U.S. Hispanic households. Riordan also saw strategic Hispanic marketing at play in the selection of the teams, both from areas in the United States that boast large Latino populations mostly of Mexican descent.

``There's a lot of sentimental value there,'' he said. Both teams were enthusiastic about playing in Mexico, Goodell said, even though it meant that the Cardinals had to give up a home game. The NFL will make up any lost revenue for the club, he said. The NFL is expecting a sell-out crowd of 85,000 at the stadium with tickets ranging from $23 to $78. The move is a no-lose proposition for the NFL , said Kathleen Davis, president and chief executive of Sport Management Research Institute in Weston. Although attendees may go solely out of curiosity, some could turn into long-term fans and the Mexico City location should make a favorable impression on Hispanics in the United States.

``Exposure is what it's all about,'' she said. Other sports, including basketball, are also actively trying to increase their fan bases outside the United States by taking games overseas and recruiting players from abroad. But the NFL has done the most to spread its gospel. It has established a European league, NFL Europe, and has an office in Mexico City to oversee business affairs such as broadcasting and licensing, as well as fan development. Five exhibition games have been played in Mexico through the years.

``No one disputes the NFL is top-tier in branding and marketing,'' Davis said. Goodell said London, Tokyo, and cities in Canada and China are also under consideration for future overseas regular-season games