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Professional gridiron football

Teams during the 104th Grey Cup in 2016, the championship game of the Canadian Football League

In the United States and Canada, the term professional football includes the professional forms of American and Canadian gridiron football. In common usage, it refers to former and existing major football leagues in either country. Currently, there are multiple professional football leagues in North America: the three best known are the National Football League (NFL) and the XFL in the U.S, and the Canadian Football League (CFL) in Canada. American football leagues have existed in Europe since the late 1970s, with competitive leagues all over Europe hiring American Imports to strengthen rosters. The Austrian Football League and German Football League top division are known as the best leagues in Europe. The Japan X-League is also a strong league that has a long history since 1971. The NFL has existed continuously since being so named in 1922.

The best American football players are among the highest paid athletes in the world, with the highest salaries reaching tens of millions of dollars per year.[1][2]

  1. ^ "The World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2020". Forbes.
  2. ^ "The making of Patrick Mahomes, the highest-paid man in sports history | NFL News | Sky Sports".