FOXBORO — The New England Patriots are headed for London next fall, as they will play Tampa Bay in a “home” game for the Buccaneers in the now-annual game overseas.

The Pats and Bucs will play on Oct. 25 in Wembley Stadium at 1 p.m. Eastern time, which means the game will kick off at 7 p.m. London time.

“We’re really excited that the league chose us to play in London,” New England owner Robert Kraft said. “We’re interested in the globalization of our sport. You have to register when you go on the NFL-UK Web site and I think if you check with them we’ve become the No. 1 team over there.”

New England also has a fairly large and active fan club in England; once a year, members plan a trip to see a game in Foxboro and this year they were on hand for the win over Buffalo on Nov. 9.

While Kraft expressed excitement about the game, Patriots players weren’t so thrilled.

“I’m worried about Seattle,” Mike Vrabel said, referring to New England’s opponent this Sunday. “I don’t [care] about London. … If I’m on this team next year, whoever is on this team next year, the Patriots are going to London, but this team, right now, is going to lick its wounds and go to Seattle.”

Guard Logan Mankins agreed.

“I don’t really want to go, but we have to. This week, we have Seattle and it will be a tough week. We need a win, and that’s what I’m going to focus on,” he said.

Tampa Bay owner Malcolm Glazer apparently wanted to be the NFC team — the league prefers the game to have an AFC and NFC representative — in next year’s game. But New Orleans and San Diego were the combatants this year. Glazer owns legendary British soccer club Manchester United, and bringing his other football team across the Pond gives him a chance to expose Man U fans to the Bucs and gain new fans for that club.

Glazer also isn’t likely to be as concerned as other teams about losing a home date at Raymond James Stadium, since Tampa Bay is hosting Super Bowl XLIII in February.

Kraft, likely only half-joking, said he wouldn’t be giving up a home date “unless our fans voted for us to do so.”

The NFL’s announcement of the game came after Bill Belichick’s news conference yesterday, so he was not available for comment. But in 2007 it was announced that the Patriots were to play a preseason game against the Seahawks in China later that year, and Belichick could barely disguise his dislike of that idea.

Asked for Belichick’s reaction, Kraft drew laughs when he quipped, “Bill was the No. 1 cheerleader to get this game and have it over there. He had really preferred to go to China.

“The NFL is about routine and schedule and I’m sure [Belichick] would like to play every game — home and away — at 1 o’clock at Gillette. I’m sure every coach would like that.”

To make up for whatever physical strain the overseas game might put on players, the Patriots and Buccaneers will play in Week Eight and then both teams will have their bye the following week.

smanza@projo.com