2026 NFL International Series: All 9 Matchups in the Record-Setting Slate

If you’re hoping to catch every NFL international game in person in 2026, then hopefully you have your passport ready to go. The league announced all nine NFL International Series games on Wednesday, which will mark the most international games the league has played in a single season. With more games being played internationally than ever, there are also a few places that will host an NFL game that have never hosted an NFL game before. Australia, Rio de Janeiro and France will all host their first NFL games in 2026. The first international game will take place in Week 1, while the last will be held in Week 11. And half of the league’s teams will play an international game in 2026, as two teams will play two games outside the country. So, here’s a full look at the nine games that will be a part of the NFL’s international slate in 2026. The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will begin the NFL’s international slate for the 2026 season in Week 1, playing in the league’s first game in Australia. The game, which will be played at Melbourne Cricket Ground, has unique timing, though. It’ll kick off at around 10:35 a.m. in Melbourne on Friday, Sept. 11. That means the game will begin on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 8:35 p.m. ET. It’s a rare divisional matchup that’ll be played overseas, but it just means the stakes will be higher. Both the 49ers and Rams contended for the NFC West title late into the season in 2025, with Los Angeles reaching the NFC Championship Game. Heading into 2026, each team figures to contend for the NFC West crown again as the Rams are currently the Super Bowl favorites. The Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys will play in the NFL’s first game in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, Sept. 27. It actually marks the third game the NFL has played in Brazil, though, as the league had Week 1 matchups at São Paulo’s Corinthians Arena in each of the last two seasons. While both teams missed the playoffs in 2025, both the Ravens and Cowboys are playoff hopefuls who’ve had eventful offseasons. Baltimore made a coaching change, hiring Jesse Minter to replace long-time head coach John Harbaugh. Dallas, meanwhile, made a handful of moves on defense, including the selection of Ohio State safety Caleb Downs in the NFL Draft. Of course, this game will also feature two of the league’s top quarterbacks, with Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott going head-to-head. The Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders will play the first of the NFL’s three games in London in 2026. This matchup will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 4. Both the Colts and Commanders are seeking to bounce back from campaigns in 2025 that were derailed by injuries. Indianapolis actually had the inside track to win the AFC South for much of the season, but quarterback Daniel Jones tore his Achilles late in the year. Washington, meanwhile, will have quarterback Jayden Daniels back as it hopes to reach the status it was at in 2024, when it reached the NFC Championship Game. This will mark the first of two games for the Jacksonville Jaguars in London this season, playing the Philadelphia Eagles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 11. Both the Eagles and Jaguars made the postseason in 2025. Philadelphia has been a mainstay postseason contender since 2021, but Jacksonville had a surprise year in 2025, going 13-4 in Liam Coen’s first year as head coach. The Jaguars will be the designated home team again when they play in London for a second straight week in Week 6. However, their matchup against the Houston Texans will take place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 18. While the Jaguars have played back-to-back games in England twice before, this will be the first time they’ve had two designated home games in London in the same season. It’s also just the second time that they’ll face a division rival in an international game, facing the Texans in London in 2019. This matchup could have major postseason implications, as the Jaguars and Texans finished first and second, respectively, in the AFC South last season. The two teams split the 2025 season series. The NFL is heading to France for the first time ever in 2026. The Pittsburgh Steelers will take on the New Orleans Saints at Stade de France in Paris on Sunday, Oct. 25. Pittsburgh might be led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers as he remains unsigned, although most have speculated that he’ll be the Steelers’ starting quarterback again in 2026. New Orleans, meanwhile, will be led by second-year quarterback Tyler Shough, who helped the Saints go on a four-game win streak late last season. The Saints made sure to build around him over the offseason as well, adding running back Travis Ettiene and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. The NFL’s second-ever game in Madrid will feature a pair of exciting offenses. The Cincinnati Bengals will take on the Atlanta Falcons in Spain on Sunday, Nov. 8. This will be Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s first international game, as Cincinnati hasn’t had an international game since 2019. As for the Falcons, they played the Indianapolis Colts in Germany last season. Will Michael Penix Jr. be starting for the Falcons this time around, or will newcomer Tua Tagovailoa have the starting job? The New England Patriots and Detroit Lions will go head-to-head at FC Bayern Munich Stadium in Munich on Sunday, Nov. 15. It’s the third game the league has played in Munich. For New England, this will actually be its second trip to Germany. The Patriots faced the Colts in Frankfurt in 2023. It’ll also mark the Patriots’ third international game in four seasons, facing the Jaguars in London during the 2024 season. As for the Lions, this will be their first international game since 2015. This will also mark just the eighth time that one of the Super Bowl participants from the previous season will be in an international game since the league started to regularly play international games in 2007.  New England is seeking to get back to the Super Bowl in 2026 after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX as part of its surprise 2025 season. Detroit, meanwhile, is hoping its 2025 season was a one-off. The Lions went 9-8 in 2025, missing the playoffs for the first time in three years and establishing themselves as a Super Bowl contender in the two seasons prior. The NFL’s international series for the 2026 season will conclude when the Minnesota Vikings take on the San Francisco 49ers at Estadio Azteca on Sunday, Nov. 22. It marks the first game that the NFL has played in Mexico since 2022, which also featured the 49ers. On top of that, San Francisco will also become the first team to play two international games in nonconsecutive games in NFL history. As for Minnesota, this will mark the third straight season it has played an international game. It actually played in two international games last season as well, playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, Ireland, before facing the Cleveland Browns in London, England.