As the NFL prepares to kick off its first regular-season game in Dublin, a new international city is officially on the clock for its first game next year.
The NFL plans to announce Rio de Janeiro as a host city for a 2026 regular-season game, CBS Sports has learned. Interest in Rio had previously been reported when the Chiefs and Chargers played in São Paulo in Week 1.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s most popular city, has hosted World Cups and the Olympics, and next year the NFL will finally make its way there. Maracanã Stadium will be the host stadium with a capacity nearing 70,000.
The league plans to announce a five-year commitment to Rio that will see at least three regular-season games played in the city. And while the door is not shut on a return to São Paulo, the league clearly has a strong focus on Rio.
The NFL broke into the Brazil market in 2024 when the Eagles and Packers played in São Paulo. That followed with a successful AFC West matchup three weeks ago between the Chargers and Chiefs. The league calculates it has 36 million fans in Brazil, which is second only to Mexico in terms of size of international markets.
What remains unclear is when the 2026 game will take place and between which teams. The league found a loophole in the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 that allowed it to play the Brazil games on the Friday of Week 1 the last two times, but the calendar won’t allow for that next year.
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Opening the season on a Friday followed by a game the next week allowed for an extra day of rest for the competing teams after long travel. For a centrally located NFL team, the flight can be upwards of 10 hours one way, which makes for the longest international trip the league currently puts on.
There is still no indication what teams will play in the Rio game, but there could be hints. Typically, but not always, the league will have the “home” team be one that has global marketing rights in that country. The Lions, Dolphins, Patriots and Eagles all have marketing rights in Brazil.
Sunday’s game in Ireland between the Steelers and Vikings will be the second of seven international games this season. Here is the remainder of the 2025 international slate.
- Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers (Dublin, Ireland) — Sun., Sept. 28, 9:30 a.m.
- Week 5: Minnesota Vikings at Cleveland Browns (London, England) — Sun., Oct. 5, 9:30 a.m.
- Week 6: Denver Broncos at New York Jets (London, England) — Sun., Oct. 12, 9:30 a.m.
- Week 7: Los Angeles Rams at Jacksonville Jaguars (London, England) — Sun., Oct. 19, 9:30 a.m.
- Week 10: Atlanta Falcons at Indianapolis Colts (Berlin, Germany) — Sun, Nov. 9, 9:30 a.m.
- Week 11: Washington Commanders at Miami Dolphins (Madrid, Spain) — Sun., Nov. 16, 9:30 a.m.
