Even before the first snap, commissioner Paul Tagliabue declared the NFL's first regular-season game outside the United States a rousing success -- and a prelude to the sport's future. Tagliabue believes the San Francisco 49ers' meeting with the Arizona Cardinals in Mexico City will be the first venture in an annual extravaganza, with at least one festive regular-season game on foreign soil every season. The commissioner's ability to convince each NFL club to take turns giving up a home game for the cause seems to be the main obstacle to his ambitious plan to boost American football's international popularity. But Tagliabue is confident the owners will see the long-term benefits of such a plan, which could be discussed at league meetings this month. "The key is to let them know well in advance that they're going to be giving up a home game," Tagliabue said. "The other key is to make (giving up a game) a universal obligation to be a member of the NFL."