Travis Kelce has backtracked on his fury over the Kansas City Chiefs starting the NFL season in Brazil, insisting he ‘can’t wait’ to play in the South American country.
Before the 2025 schedule was released in full, Kelce confirmed to older brother Jason on their New Heights podcast last week that the Chiefs’ season opener was taking place in Brazil, something he didn’t sound very happy about.
It was later revealed that they will be facing the Los Angeles Chargers at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo.
After pointing out that he’ll be playing football in the ‘f***ing heat’, the 35-year-old fumed: ‘There’s just something about getting close to the equator, I don’t want to put on football uniform. I’ve been in Jacksonville in September, that’s f***ing miserable.
‘Sao Paulo, is that by the water? I’d rather it be dry than humid, I’m a sweaty guy. If it is humid, I am going to be miserable. But I am going to find a way to get a win.’
Jason, whose former team the Philadelphia Eagles played in Brazil last season, also claimed that the field was ‘atrocious’ for their 2024 game against Green Bay Packers.
Travis Kelce has backtracked on his fury over the Chiefs starting the NFL season in Brazil
Kansas City is set to face the Los Angeles Chargers at Corinthians Arena on September 5
Yet on this week’s episode of the podcast, both Travis and Jason U-turned on their recent criticism of the NFL staging a fixture in the country.
‘We’re going to be on a bunch of f***ing primetime games,’ the Chiefs star said. ‘The season opener against the Chargers is going to be on a Friday night in beautiful Sao Paulo, Brazil.
‘Can’t wait to get down there and see all the Brazil fans and how they get rocking for some American football, man.’
Jason then added: ‘By the way, we heard everyone from Brazil. Apparently September in Sao Paulo is not hot, so we don’t have to worry about that.’
The Kelce brothers suggested they have received a backlash from Brazilian NFL fans in the wake of their comments last week, who accused them of turning their noses up at international fixtures.
‘There were a lot of Brazil fans, I think, that were under the impression that we don’t like international games. I think I speak for both me and Travis: we both love them,’ Jason stressed.
Travis then continued: ‘Whaaaat? Sign me up! Don’t get me wrong, I love playing in Arrowhead and I love playing in America, but I’m down for at least one or two international games.
‘Get me out of this country, I want to play in front of some new fans man.’
‘We just don’t like the heat,’ Jason explained.
Kelce initially wasn’t impressed at having to play in Brazil with the Chiefs in their 2025 opener
But on his and brother Jason’s latest podcast, the 35-year-old backtracked on that criticism
Travis insisted he ‘can’t wait’ to go and play a game in the South American country this year
‘I’m wearing two shirts right now. It connects, here and the back… I’m a furry son of a b***h. Me and heat just don’t do well together, Travis concluded.
‘I apologize if it came off as that I’m not excited about this. I’m still excited, I’m just going to be doing some wardrobe changes throughout the game.’
Kelce nearly retired in February in the aftermath of his Kansas City team losing the Super Bowl to the Eagles in New Orleans.
But he eventually announced he is coming back for at least one more season, partly because he didn’t want his glittering career to end on such a low note.
If he is to lead the Chiefs back to Super Bowl glory, it is going to be the long way back to the top with the first game in South America.
The Thanksgiving Chiefs game, which sees Patrick Mahomes face the team he grew up supporting, means Kelce and his men play another holiday on top of their Christmas game against Denver Broncos.
Kelce could also be playing on his 36th birthday this year, with it falling on Sunday, October 5.
