Eagles HC Nick Sirianni has best analogy for Brazil game against Green Bay Packers

The Philadelphia Eagles are traveling a far distance to play their first game of the regular season against the Green Bay Packers.

While some Eagles players are not too excited about the trip to Brazil and the endless rules that come with it, head coach Nick Sirianni is embracing kicking off the year under the lights on a Friday night.

" To say, ‘Hey, we’ve got a game Friday night.' That gives me goosebumps to think about that," Sirianni said. "… My favorite players growing up, because my dad was a coach, were the high school football players that played on Friday night, you know? John Briggs, my brother Jay Sirianni, Mike Sirianni, Pete Connelly — those were my favorite players growing up. ‘Friday night football,’ I was able to say that to these guys, and the excitement should be so high on every level. This is why we fell in love with this game."

Friday will mark history as the first NFL game ever played in Brazil.

The matchup will take place at Neo Quimica Arena in São Paulo. The stadium is home to Brazilian soccer club Corinthians and holds over 49,205 spectators, which is expected to feature a lot more Packers fans than the "home team" Eagles.

"I’m so excited to be able to go to Brazil to play in front of very passionate fans," Srianni said. "Obviously, super bummed that we don’t get to play in front of our passionate fans. I love our fans and the home-field advantage that we have. But I’m excited. This is my first international trip, and I’m excited and know how much they care about sports in Brazil. It’s Friday night football against the Green Bay Packers.

"You take me back to when those guys were my favorite players, and you said to me, ‘Hey, Friday night, September whatever, 2024, you’re going to be the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles (and I’m 10 years old) and you’re going to be playing against the Green Bay Packers.' I mean, I would have been pretty pumped about that, and I’m still pumped about that."

The Eagles will wear their black and white uniforms with the Packers repping their green and gold look.

Kickoff is on Sept. 6 at 8:15 p.m. ET. Eagles fans can catch the game locally on NBC10 or stream on Peacock.

Related: Eagles explain plan for rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell ahead of Week 1 vs. Packers