All articles tagged with #international games
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said there’s not much benefit to starting the 2026 NFL season in Melbourne, despite the league’s international slate, with San Francisco opening as the away team in Australia and later facing a Mexico City game as a home contest; he noted there are eight international games that year and the 49ers have two of them, adding the schedule is imposed and there’s rarely a bye after Melbourne.
To avoid Friday broadcast conflicts, the NFL will open Week 1 this year with a Wednesday-Thursday slate, starting with the Seahawks hosting on Wednesday, Sept. 9 and the 49ers-Rams game on Thursday, Sept. 10 in Australia. The plan is expected to recur in 2027–2028, with Wednesday-Thursday as the likely format when Thursday-Friday won’t work, and a potential return of Friday play in 2029–2033. A future Labor Day weekend shift could occur if the league expands to 18 games and two byes.
The NFL announced that the Atlanta Falcons will play a 2026 regular-season game in Madrid, Spain, at Real Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium as part of the league’s international growth push; this will be the Falcons’ sixth regular-season game outside the United States and their fifth in Europe (Toronto 2013; London 2014, 2021, 2023; Berlin 2025). Falcons Fan Travel has organized a Madrid package for fans, and Falcons season-ticket members in 2026 will receive one preseason game plus eight regular-season home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The San Francisco 49ers will host a regular-season game in Mexico City in 2026 at Estadio Banorte as part of the NFL’s three-year commitment to playing regular-season games in Mexico City; the opponent will be announced later. The move underscores Mexico’s status as the NFL’s largest international fanbase, and the 49ers have previously played in Mexico City (2022) and were part of the league’s first international regular-season game in 2005.
George Kittle reacted playfully on social media to the 49ers’ plan for two international games in 2026 (Australia and Mexico City), posting memes and captions that reflect fan nerves about the travel-heavy schedule; insiders say he could be back by Week 1 in Australia after a torn Achilles, but the long travel remains a concern for San Francisco’s aging core.
The NFL will host nine international games in 2026, including the league’s first-ever game in Australia, a Melbourne matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers, continuing a trend of overseas fixtures following London and Munich games, with some fan pushback over a division matchup abroad.
The NFL announced the Dallas Cowboys will play in the league's first regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro at Maracanã Stadium in 2026, as part of a record nine international games that year; opponent, date and kickoff time will be announced later, with Brazil identified as a key international market and ongoing expansion including NFL Flag and flag football's Olympic debut in LA28.
The NFL plans a 2026 49ers-Rams game in Melbourne, but Christian McCaffrey questions the feasibility of such a long-distance international game, noting Australia’s distance and pondering how the schedule would work, even as the league pushes international matches; flights SF–Melbourne are roughly 16 hours with a ~14-hour return, underscoring the logistical challenges.
The NFL announced the San Francisco 49ers will play the Los Angeles Rams—the league’s first regular-season game in Melbourne, Australia—at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2026, as part of a record nine international games across multiple continents; further details such as date and kickoff will be announced later.
NFL plans nine regular-season games outside the United States in 2026, including a Saints appearance near Paris at Stade de France—the league’s first game in France—with the opponent to be announced later; the Saints’ 2026 home date will be used for the France game, part of a broader push to grow American football globally with stops in Mexico City, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Melbourne and Munich and three London contests.
The 49ers plan to give up a home game in 2026 to play internationally, with Mexico as their preferred destination, as part of the NFL’s expansion of international games.
The NFL plans a nine-game international slate for 2026, including a Mexico City regular-season game, as part of a push to have every team play overseas annually in a future 20-game season. The slate features three London games and one game each in Madrid, Melbourne, Munich, Paris and Rio de Janeiro, with teams such as Green Bay and New Orleans tied to potential hosting slots while specific matchups are still being determined.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell used Super Bowl Opening Night to emphasize unity and say he played no role in Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame snub, while noting it’s too early to discipline Giants co-owner Steve Tisch over Epstein-related files and acknowledging ongoing diversity efforts; the night’s updates also highlighted Kenneth Walker III’s increased playoff role for Seattle, Bad Bunny’s non-divisive presence, plans for nine international games (including Mexico City and France), tech to assist blind fans, field prep at Levi’s Stadium, and headlines about Sam Darnold as the first 2018 quarterback in the Super Bowl and Drake Maye dealing with illness ahead of the game.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced plans for nine regular-season games outside the United States in 2026, including a December Mexico City game, with fixtures in London, Paris, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Melbourne and Munich, as part of a broader push to make the NFL a global sport and eventually have all 32 teams play overseas each season.
The NFL will stage its first-ever regular-season game in Paris in 2026 at the Stade de France, with the New Orleans Saints among the participating teams, as part of the league's global growth push; the full international schedule will be announced in spring and includes other games in markets like Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, Munich and Madrid.