Nine international games in 2026, an NFL record, across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums. Sixteen teams are involved, and two of them play abroad twice: the Jaguars and the 49ers. The slate opens in Melbourne in Week 1 and closes in Mexico City in Week 11.
| Week | Date and time | Matchup | City and stadium | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thu Sept. 10, 8:35 p.m. | 49ers at Rams | Melbourne, Australia · Melbourne Cricket Ground | Netflix |
| 3 | Sun Sept. 27, 4:25 p.m. | Ravens at Cowboys | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil · Maracana Stadium | CBS, Paramount+ |
| 4 | Sun Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m. | Colts at Commanders | London · Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | NFL Network |
| 5 | Sun Oct. 11, 9:30 a.m. | Eagles at Jaguars | London · Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | NFL Network |
| 6 | Sun Oct. 18, 9:30 a.m. | Texans at Jaguars | London · Wembley Stadium | NFL Network |
| 7 | Sun Oct. 25, 9:30 a.m. | Steelers at Saints | Paris · Stade de France | NFL Network |
| 9 | Sun Nov. 8, 9:30 a.m. | Bengals at Falcons | Madrid · Bernabeu Stadium | NFL Network |
| 10 | Sun Nov. 15, 9:30 a.m. | Patriots at Lions | Munich, Germany · FC Bayern Munich Stadium | Fox |
| 11 | Sun Nov. 22, 8:20 p.m. | Vikings at 49ers | Mexico City · Estadio Banorte | NBC, Peacock |
All nine games also stream on NFL+. The designated home team is the club that owns marketing rights in that country, which is why the Rams host in Melbourne and the 49ers host in Mexico City.
The Countries
| Australia | 1 game, and the first ever played there |
| Brazil | 1 game, a third straight year, and a first at the Maracana |
| United Kingdom | 3 games in three straight weeks, two at Tottenham and one at Wembley |
| France | 1 game, the league’s first in Paris |
| Spain | 1 game, a second straight year in Madrid |
| Germany | 1 game, back in Munich |
| Mexico | 1 game, the first in Mexico City since 2022 |
How the Home Team Is Decided
Under the Global Markets Program every NFL club holds marketing rights in at least one country. When a game is staged in that country, the rights holder is the designated home team, gives up one of its home dates and takes the home revenue and promotion.
That is the whole explanation for pairings that look odd on paper. The Rams host in Melbourne because they took Australia in 2021. The Jaguars host two London games because they have been the league’s UK franchise for over a decade. The 49ers host in Mexico City. Roger Goodell has said he would like the league to reach 16 international games a season.
The Teams Playing Twice
Jacksonville plays back to back London games in Weeks 5 and 6, moving from Tottenham to Wembley without coming home, which is now a familiar pattern for the Jaguars.
San Francisco is the more unusual case. The 49ers bookend the entire international slate, opening the season in Australia and closing it in Mexico City eleven weeks later. They are the first NFL team to play two international games in non-consecutive weeks, and they are expected to travel roughly 38,100 miles this season, an NFL record.
What Is New in 2026
Three firsts. Australia gets a game for the first time. Paris gets one for the first time. And Rio’s game moves to the Maracana, and to Week 3 rather than the Week 1 Friday slot Brazil had in 2024 and 2025, which gives both teams a couple of games of tape before they meet.
The Bottom Line
Nine games, seven countries, sixteen teams, from Melbourne in Week 1 to Mexico City in Week 11. The early kickoffs matter for planning: six of the nine start at 9:30 a.m. ET, and the Melbourne game is a Thursday night in the United States.