A Global Calendar
The National Football League unveiled its 2026 International Games slate, a nine‑game lineup that will travel across four continents, seven countries and eight venues, marking the most ambitious overseas campaign in the league’s history.
The action kicks off on September 10 in Melbourne, Australia, where the San Francisco 49ers will meet the Los Angeles Rams in what promises to be a high‑stakes opener for fans down under.
A week later, Rio de Janeiro will host its inaugural NFL contest on September 27, with the Baltimore Ravens squaring off against the Dallas Cowboys inside the iconic Maracanã Stadium.
London continues its long‑standing relationship with the league, staging three consecutive fixtures that push the total number of regular‑season games played in the United Kingdom since 2007 to 45.
Paris makes its regular‑season debut on October 25, as the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to face the New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France, a milestone that underscores the league’s growing footprint in Europe.
Madrid will welcome the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons on November 8 at the Bernabéu Stadium, marking the Spanish capital’s second straight appearance on the NFL calendar.
The final European stop arrives in Munich on November 15, where the New England Patriots will take on the Detroit Lions, rounding out a busy month of transatlantic matchups.
The international series concludes in Mexico City on November 22, featuring a clash between the Minnesota Vikings and the San Francisco 49ers at Estadio Banorte, before the league returns its focus to the domestic schedule.
The full 2026 NFL schedule was released on May 14 and will be broadcast across NFL Network, ESPN, the ESPN App and NFL+, giving fans worldwide multiple ways to follow the action.
Implications for the League
Beyond the novelty of playing on foreign soil, the schedule reflects the NFL’s strategic push to deepen its relationship with international audiences, leveraging marquee markets and historic rivalries to grow the sport’s global fan base.
Key Matchups to Watch
Among the highlighted pairings, the 49ers versus Rams in Melbourne, the Ravens versus Cowboys in Rio, and the Steelers versus Saints in Paris stand out as must‑see events that could shape early‑season narratives.