( CNN ) -- Viking raiders once landed on British soil to change the face of the nation -- and 1200 years later a group of muscly Minnesota Vikings gained further ground in the NFL 's sporting invasion of the British Isles . The victorious Vikings landed another blow for American football Sunday as the team staged an exciting 34-27 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in London . The team 's 28-year-old star running back Adrian Peterson and Greg Jennings scored two touchdowns apiece . It was an important first win of the season for the Vikings but the entertaining game could have even greater significance for the NFL 's hopes of establishing a European franchise . A regular season game was first played in London in 2007 but , for the first time this season , two games were scheduled on the opposite side of the Atlantic . Next month the Jackonsonville Jaguars face the San Francisco 49ers . Both NFL games at Wembley Stadium sold out within hours . Organizers of the NFL 's London foray stirred the fever further Saturday as they held a block party for an estimated half a million fans on the streets of central London . Tailgate yearning . `` It is a sign that the game is growing globally , '' NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told NFLUK.com earlier this year . `` I think the message is clear . There are passionate fans who love the NFL in the UK . '' There were also plenty of domestic fans who were happy to travel to London to support their teams . `` I love it , '' Richard from Pittsburgh , who now lives in Hollywood , told CNN . `` It 's a really good idea . `` It gets the Steelers brand out there internationally as a big team . '' Dan from New York added : `` I love the pub atmosphere in London . Although American culture is the tailgate , which I 'm not seeing here ! '' Perhaps not every facet of the American football experience can so easily translate to British shores where soccer , rugby and cricket hold sway as the most popular spectator sports . But that is not deterring the NFL from pressing on with its mission to gain new ground in Europe . American football is just that , an American sport , but if the sport can successfully `` go global '' that presents the NFL with new markets and new business opportunities . Profit not a priority . `` This is an investment and we are trying to grow something , '' Alistair Kirkwood , managing director of NFL UK , told CNN . `` We are not concerned about profit yet . `` But for the last two years our games have broken merchandise records for Wembley for all events -- and that includes pop concerts . '' Developing the NFL in London , or any European franchise for that matter , does not come without its problems . `` There are multiple challenges , '' USA Today 's NFL writer Tom Pelissero , who was at the game in London , explained to CNN . `` Travel would scare off a lot of potential free agents , it could be hard for a team to be competitive just because of that . `` The tax [ in the UK ] is another issue , 45 % is the top tax bracket . That is something that , again , could scare off players from coming over . `` It also comes down to the fan base being large enough . You can fill Wembley with 80,000 people once , twice this year , but can you do that for 10 games a year ? I think that 's the one of the many unknowns . `` If you put a team in London , I do n't think it would be difficult to make a profit . `` But what do you do when [ they ] have to play 10 games in the United States ? How do you get them to travel ? Do any of the visiting fans travel at all ? That 's an entirely different sort of issue . '' Troublesome travels . Steve , who made the journey from London to New York , was also skeptical about the reality that NFL could become a regular fixture in London . `` The time zones and travel present a serious issue , '' he told CNN . `` To have a global sport that 's weekly is troublesome . If you break it up into something that is less frequent than weekly and that allows for serious travel then it makes sense . `` [ A London franchise ] is a great idea , the NFL would make a ton of money out of it . I just have n't figured out how it could work ! '' The man in charge of the game , Commissioner Goodell , is also juggling the numbers to work out how to develop the game away from north American shores . `` What is the next step ? Do we move to three games , are there other ways to grow the game in the UK ? '' he said . `` This is a market where we need to be more active and to grow our game . '' For now , Peterson -- who had never been outside the U.S. before his trip to London -- and his fellow Viking raiders can feel satisfied with winning the game , as well as perhaps inching the NFL a little closer to a permanent place on sport 's European map .
The NFL returned to London for first of two games at Wembley Stadium this season . Minnesota Vikings defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 34-27 in thrilling game . NFL organizers want to continue to invest in European games . But fans and experts alike warn there are many logistical problems still to be resolved .