NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says Dublin’s hosting of a regular-season NFL contest involving the Pittsburgh Steelers later this year will be a “great celebration”.

The widely-anticipated news of the Croke Park contest was confirmed on Friday in advance of Sunday’s Super Bowl in New Orleans.

The Steelers’ legendary owner Dan Rooney, who died in 2017, had lifelong connections with Ireland and was US Ambassador to Ireland from 2009 and 2012.

“We’re really excited. It’s a great market for us,” said the NFL commissioner.

“Obviously there’s a great connection in the United States with Ireland. The Pittsburgh Steelers have a specific connection also through their [Rooney] family.”

Goodell added that the NFL receives “a tremendous amount of media coverage [in Ireland], but we spend a lot of time on a year-round basis promoting the game and getting kids playing, whether it’s flag football or tackle football”.

“All of that is part of our efforts to make our game more popular there and this game is sort of the spark and gives that a greater interest,” he added.