NFL-First game in Australia among nine international matchups in 2026

May 13 (Reuters) – The NFL on Wednesday unveiled its 2026 international game schedule which will kick off in Australia on September 10 when the San Francisco 49ers take on the Los Angeles Rams at Melbourne Cricket Ground, marking the league’s debut Down Under.  

A record nine games will be played across seven countries as part of the league’s drive for global expansion which has seen 62 regular- season games played outside the U.S.

“This year’s record-breaking schedule will see a host of world-class NFL franchises and star athletes play in some of the most iconic sporting venues in the world, underlining the league’s global growth vision and bringing our fans internationally closer to the game than ever before,” Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice president of club business, major events and international, said in a statement. 

The NFL will return to Brazil for a third straight year on September 27 with a matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys at Rio de Janeiro’s  Maracana Stadium. 

London, which has hosted over 40 games since 2007, will stage three more in October.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host the Indianapolis Colts v Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles v Jacksonville Jaguars. Wembley Stadium will stage Houston Texans v Jaguars. 

The action shifts to Paris for the first time when the Pittsburgh Steelers play the New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France on October 25. 

The Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons will meet in Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium on November 8.

The New England Patriots take on the Detroit Lions in Munich, Germany for the penultimate international game and the NFL returns to Mexico City for the first time since 2022 for a clash between the Minnesota Vikings and the 49ers on November 22.  

The full 2026 NFL schedule will be released on Thursday. 

(Reporting by Nicole Fernandes in Toronto, editing by Ed Osmond)