As David Beckham heads to the United States, American football visits Britain. It was announced yesterday that London will host the first regular-season NFL game outside America and the venue for this autumn’s match will probably be Wembley, with Twickenham under consideration.

Final details will be announced before the Super Bowl on February 4. As revealed by The Times in 2005, the NFL planned to stage a fixture at Wembley last year, but construction delays meant that its plans were shelved.

London’s glamour, fan base, the enthusiasm of the city’s authorities and the cachet of Wembley persuaded the NFL that it should be the first host for what is expected to become a regular event. In 2005, 103,467 people watched the Arizona Cardinals play the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico City.

“We are confident the game is going to be a great success,” Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, said. It is believed that the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins are the front-runners to appear. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, owned by the Glazer family, who bought Manchester United, are outsiders because of the fear of protests by United fans.

Gridiron is not the only American sport eyeing London. The NBA intends to send teams in October for a preseason tour and Major League Baseball has held discussions with the Brit Oval with a view to hosting a series of games.