in.jpg
Getty Images

The 2026 NFL schedule as a whole will be revealed on May 14 at 8 p.m. ET, but several games have been leaking out slowly. We know that the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will kick off the season on Wednesday, Sept. 9, and that the Dallas Cowboys will face off against the New York Giants in this year's first edition of "Sunday Night Football." Now, we know our full international slate of games.

There will be a record nine NFL games played outside of the United States in 2026, with contests being held in Australia, Brazil, France, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain. On Wednesday morning, NFL Network revealed the teams, dates and times for these international matchups, one day before the full 2026 schedule will be unveiled. 

So, who will be playing in these international games, and when will they all take place? Below, we will break down the full 2026 NFL international schedule. 

Week 1: Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers (Australia)

  • When: Thursday, Sept. 10
  • Where: Melbourne Cricket Ground (Melbourne, Australia)
  • Time: 8:35 p.m. ET
  • Streaming: Netflix

We get one of the best rivalries in the NFL on the first Thursday of the season, as Brock Purdy and Matthew Stafford will face off in the first NFL Australia game. This is the biggest time change the NFL has ever had to deal with. The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will kick off at 10:35 a.m. on Friday in Melbourne, which means we will have an 8:35 p.m. ET kickoff on Thursday night in the U.S. Since this game is being played a bit earlier in the week, the NFL hopes the two teams will have ample time to deal with jet lag prior to Week 2.

Mac Jones started both games vs. the Rams last year due to Purdy's injuries. The former No. 15 overall pick scored an impressive 26-23 overtime victory in Los Angeles in Week 5, but the Rams got their revenge with a 42-26 win five weeks later. The 49ers scratched and clawed their way to a 12-5 record last season despite an incredible amount of injuries. This will actually be the healthiest the 49ers have been for a matchup vs. the Rams since Sept. 2023. 

As for L.A., the Rams enter this season as the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl. With the reigning MVP at quarterback and weapons like Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, plus a young yet talented defense, the pieces are certainly all there.

Week 3: Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Ravens

  • When: Sunday, Sept. 27
  • Where: Maracanã Stadium (Rio de Janiero, Brazil)
  • Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
  • TV: CBS
  • Streaming: Paramount+

The NFL's first game in Rio de Janeiro will take place in Week 3, and feature two hopeful contenders that both missed the playoffs last year in the Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens. The game will be held at Maracanã Stadium, which is the largest stadium in Brazil with the capacity to hold nearly 79,000 fans. New Ravens coach Jesse Minter will have his work cut out for him trying to scheme against what was the No. 2 passing attack in the NFL last season with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Jake Ferguson. 

The Cowboys have played just one international game, which came in 2014 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Ravens have played in London twice since 2017. Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson are two of the biggest names in the NFL, but believe it or not, the two quarterbacks have faced off just once before. That came in Week 3 of the 2024 season, where the Ravens defeated the Cowboys in Dallas, 28-25.

Week 4: Washington Commanders vs. Indianapolis Colts

  • When: Sunday, Oct. 4
  • Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London, England)
  • Time: 9:30 a.m. ET
  • TV: NFL Network
  • Streaming: fubo

Two potential contenders ready to forget what happened in 2025 will battle in London four weeks into the season, as the Washington Commanders and Indianapolis Colts have a date for Oct. 4 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Here's a fun fact: Both of the two games Washington has played overseas went to overtime. One ended in a 27-27 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals, and then the Commanders lost to the Miami Dolphins last year in Spain, 16-13. The Colts are 2-1 in international games, which includes a 31-25 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons in Germany last year.

The Commanders went from an NFC Championship appearance to 5-12 last season. Star quarterback Jayden Daniels missed 10 games of his second NFL season due to multiple injuries, but the Commanders defense also ranked dead last with 384.0 yards of total offense surrendered per game. Will Washington bounce back in 2026, or could this be Dan Quinn's final season as lead man?

As for the Colts, they went from 8-2 to 8-9 last season when quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a fractured fibula, followed by a torn Achilles in his breakout year. Indy looked like the best team in the NFL for the first half of the season, and the Colts are excited to run it back. That's why they signed both Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce to lucrative long-term extensions this offseason.

Week 5: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

  • When: Sunday, Oct. 11
  • Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London, England)
  • Time: 9:30 a.m. ET
  • TV: NFL Network
  • Streaming: fubo  

Fly Eagles fly, all the way to London, where they will take on the Jaguars in Week 5. No NFL team has played more games abroad than the Jaguars (14), but the Eagles are a perfect 2-0 away from the U.S. They defeated Jacksonville in Wembley Stadium back in 2018, and took down the Green Bay Packers in Brazil in 2024. 

The last time these two teams played was in 2024. It was a wild matchup in which Saquon Barkley hurdled a defender backward. Philly jumped out to a 22-0 lead before the Jaguars found a way to cut the deficit to just five points in the fourth quarter. However, a Trevor Lawrence red-zone interception with 1:42 remaining ended Jacksonville's comeback bid. The Jags lost, 28-23.

The Eagles are one of the most fascinating teams to watch this season. They have a brand new offensive coordinator in Sean Mannion, who was a backup quarterback just three seasons ago, offensive line guru/run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland has retired, and A.J. Brown is expected to be traded in the coming months. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is also facing a crossroads. So, could the Eagles find a way to get back to the Super Bowl? Or fall off a cliff completely?

Week 6: Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

  • When: Sunday, Oct. 18
  • Where: Wembley Stadium (London, England)
  • Time: 9:30 a.m. ET
  • TV: NFL Network
  • Streaming: fubo

The "London Jaguars" get the rival Houston Texans in Wembley Week 6 after playing the Eagles in Tottenham Hotspur the week prior. The top dogs in the AFC South split the season series last year. The Jaguars shocked the NFL world by going from 4-13 to 13-4, while the Texans put together their third straight double-digit win season by finishing 12-5. This will be a massive divisional showdown, since the Texans and Jaguars are the two favorites to win the AFC South in 2026.  

Trevor Lawrence was a surprise MVP finalist last season, but it's almost impossible to find success against this DeMeco Ryans defense. Houston ranked No. 1 in 2025 in total yards allowed per game (277.2), and No. 2 in scoring defense with 17.4 points allowed per game. The lines for this game probably aren't out yet, but go ahead and take the Under when you can.

Week 7: New Orleans Saints vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

  • When: Sunday, Oct. 25
  • Where: Stade de France (Saint-Denis/Paris, France)
  • Time: 9:30 a.m. ET
  • TV: NFL Network
  • Streaming: fubo

New Orleans was founded by French colonist Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville in 1718, and now, its NFL team is headed to Paris. The New Orleans Saints will face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Stade de France on Oct. 25. 

The Steelers are 1-1 all-time in international games, and defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Ireland just last season. The Saints on the other hand are 2-1 overseas, with their last game coming in a loss to the Vikings in London back in 2022. If you recall, that was when Greg Joseph hit a 47-yard field goal to put Minnesota up, 28-25, with 24 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The Saints got in scoring position very late thanks to a 32-yard gain from Chris Olave, but Wil Lutz couldn't covert from 61 yards out. 

The Saints were a bit of a fun surprise in 2025. Projected to be the worst team in the NFL, New Orleans finished 6-11 with a quarterback that finished as an Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist in Tyler Shough. The Steelers had a very "Steelers-like" year, in which they finished 10-7, made the playoffs, and then were quickly dispatched from the postseason with zero hopes of actually making a run. Mike Tomlin is gone and has been replaced by Mike McCarthy, but we aren't sure about who his quarterback will be just yet. When will Aaron Rodgers make his decision?

Week 9: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta Falcons 

  • When: Sunday, Nov. 8
  • Where: Bernabéu Stadium (Madrid, Spain)
  • Time: 9:30 a.m. ET
  • TV: NFL Network
  • Streaming: fubo

The Bengals and Falcons will play in the NFL's second-ever game in Bernabéu Stadium Week 9. The first took place last year, and saw the Dolphins defeat the Commanders in overtime. 

The Bengals are coming off another disappointing season, as they missed the playoffs for the third straight year with a 6-11 record. Joe Burrow's passing attack ranked top six in the league, but the Cincinnati defense ranked bottom three in both total defense and scoring defense. In fact, the Bengals allowed 7.0 yards after catch per reception, which was the most by any team in the last 20 seasons.

As for the Falcons, they are beginning a new era with a new coach in Kevin Stefanski, and a new quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa. Or will it be Michael Penix Jr. by this point? Penix suffered the third torn ACL of his football career in Week 11 last season, and is 4-8 overall as a starter. The Falcons have played four international games since 2014, with their most recent trip overseas coming last year in Berlin. Atlanta fell to Indianapolis in overtime, 31-25, while Jonathan Taylor exploded for 244 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

Week 10: Detroit Lions vs. New England Patriots

  • When: Sunday, Nov. 15
  • Where: Allianz Arena (Munich, Germany)
  • Time: 9:30 a.m. ET
  • TV: Fox
  • Streaming: fubo

Munich may get the international game of the year this season, as the Detroit Lions and New England Patriots will battle at Allianz Arena in Week 10. The Lions are 1-1 in the international series, while the Patriots are 3-2 with games played in London and Mexico.

The Lions took a major step backwards last season after losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, finishing last place in the NFC North with a 9-8 record. Those eight losses were more than Detroit suffered in the previous two seasons combined! Drew Petzing has been charged with turning around Jared Goff's unit, replacing John Morton as offensive coordinator. Is the Dan Campbell magic running out?

On the flip side, the Patriots went 14-3 in the first season of the Mike Vrabel era, and made it all the way to the Super Bowl thanks to second-year signal-caller Drake Maye and an investment in the defense. They became the first team to ever reach the Super Bowl after losing 13 games the previous season, but did play the easiest strength of schedule since the turn of the millennium. This season is about proving New England can again be a perennial contender. 

Week 11: San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings

  • When: Sunday, Nov. 22
  • Where: Estadio Banorte (Mexico City, Mexico)
  • Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
  • TV: NBC
  • Streaming: fubo

The 49ers are headed back to Mexico City, the site where they defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 38-10, in the last Mexico NFL game played back in 2022. San Francisco is expected to break an NFL record with 38,100 miles traveled this year, and it will become the first NFL team to play multiple international games in non-consecutive weeks. The 49ers get the Rams in Australia Week 1, and now the Vikings in Mexico Week 11.

The Vikings dropped from 14-3 to 9-8 last season swapping J.J. McCarthy for Sam Darnold at quarterback. That caused the franchise to pivot to Kyler Murray, who should be viewed as the favorite to win the starting job in training camp. The good news is that the Vikings are an impressive 5-1 in international games, scoring wins in both London and Ireland last year.