Over 83,000 fans of the NFL watched the fixture between New Orleans and San Diego at Wembley over the weekend, and many more observed the action on television.

It is clear that the NFL is growing in popularity in the UK and, since the match on Sunday, there has been more exciting news for the ever-increasing British fan base. Roger Goodell, the league’s chief, has revealed his belief that London could host a full-time NFL team in the near future.

Goodell believes that this is a “realistic possibility”, particularly if the response of the British public towards the sport continues to be so positive.

The recent match between New Orleans and San Diego was the first to be played following an exciting commitment made between the UK and the NFL to stage a game here every year for a total of three years. British fans of the sport will also be pleased to learn that 2009 or 2010 may even see an additional game.

However, Wembley will have to see off competition from stadiums including Murrayfield if it wants to continue to host the matches. Roger Goodell may have specifically praised the “sports fans here in London” who “love” the sport, but the appeal of the NFL is widespread and Cardiff is also expected to express its desire to host a match.

The league chief also compared the atmosphere at the NFL matches seen to date in the UK to the ambience seen at the Super Bowl in America. The players who competed at Wembley on Sunday were also impressed.

LaDainian Tomlinson raved about the atmosphere and revealed his desire to return to the UK in the future. Similarly, Philip Rivers, who impressed during the match, spoke about the “fun” nature of the game.

The only negative comments came from the manager of New Orleans, Sean Payton, who was not impressed by the state of the Wembley pitch. He spoke of the “slick and choppy” field and said that it negatively impacted upon the performance of his defenders.

However, the San Diego coach was more positive in his post-match reaction, stating that the pitch did not impact upon the game.

It is not just British fans of the NFL who are set to benefit from the possibility of London hosting a full-time NFL team. Goodell believes that it would also be “a great thing for the league”.

However, the plans are still very much rooted in the realm of the hypothetical. A spokesman for the NFL has stated that there is no “timeframe even for exploring the possibility”.

Sunday’s match saw New Orleans defeat San Diego 37-32. Although Reggie Bush, the star of the New Orleans team, was absent through injury, the team made up for his absence by putting on a good performance through the air.

San Diego, on the other hand, let themselves down by giving away 14 penalties for 134 yards. The match was closely fought until the closing stages, with New Orleans choosing to concede a two-point safety with just eight seconds left of the game in an effort to secure the final result.