The NFL may be back in Mexico very soon. NFL Mexico director Arturo Olivé told Spanish newspaper AS that the country has raised enough sponsorship money to host five regular season games, one per season, from 2017 or 2018.

"We're taking steps in the right direction so that eventually, this platform (of sponsors) which we have reconstructed will enable us to talk directly to the NFL in New York about the possibility of staging games in Mexico," Olivé said.

The last time Mexico hosted an NFL game was in a 2005 regular season bout between the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers. The game drew over 100,000 fans into Mexico's Azteca stadium, although Olivé said Azteca would not be considered a host stadium in this latest proposal.

According to data compiled by Global Web Index, Mexico is the largest country outside of the United States with an NFL following, estimating that there are over 23 million fans of the game. The league remains steadfast in its efforts to expand the sport internationally. Germany is another country the league is considering as a host, in addition to more games in London.

Mexico, however, is the only country on the docket with the built in passion, size and proximity to the US to make the most sense. While there remains skepticism of economic viability, Olivé's confidence in increased sponsorship should have the NFL reconsidering it's international approach to push Mexico further up its expansion effort ladder.