New Delhi, May 4 -- cranes pierce the skyline, political ambition swirls, and the National Football League circles cautiously, intrigued but unconvinced. At the center stands Roger Goodell, delivering a message that is equal parts encouragement and cold reality.

Cleveland wants a Super Bowl. The NFL is not ready to give it one.

At a groundbreaking ceremony for the Cleveland Browns' new domed stadium in Brook Park, Goodell offered a tantalizing glimpse into the league's thinking. The facility, a $2.6 billion colossus scheduled to open in 2029, checks a fundamental box. It will be enclosed, modern, and architecturally ambitious. In isolation, it meets the NFL's baseline criteria for hosting its most lucrative spectacle.

But the Super Bow...