Welcome to NFL schedule release week.
NFL schedule release 2026: 9 international games are already beginning to leak
Joe Burrow’s Bengals are going to Madrid in Week 9, and more international games are coming.
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
On Thursday, the NFL will release the entire regular-season schedule for the 2026 campaign. The league is slowly unveiling select games in the coming days, including the nine international games set for the next season.
We already know the first of those games, but we will be tracking those all week long as the NFL sets the stage for the 2026 campaign.
What are the nine international games in 2026?
As noted above, the NFL has nine slots for international games in 2026.
And the league is not wasting any time in travelling abroad.
Here is the full slate of international games for the 2026 season:
Week 1: San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams
The first international game on the 2026 schedule will be played between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers, and is the reason the Seahawks will begin their season on a Wednesday. The game between the Rams and the 49ers will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, and be the first NFL regular season game played on that continent.
Due to the time difference, that game will kickoff at 10:35 a.m. local time on Friday, September 11, meaning it will start at 8:35 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, September 10.
Here is what we know about the rest of the games.
Week 3: Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Ravens
The NFL returns to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in late September, when the Baltimore Ravens square off with the Dallas Cowboys on September 27 at the Maracanã Stadium.
Week 4: Indianapolis Colts vs. Washington Commanders
The Colts and the Commanders will square off in Week 4 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Week 5: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars will play in London on back-to-back weeks, starting in Week 5 against the Philadelphia Eagles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Week 6: Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
The following week will see an AFC South showdown at Wembley Stadium in London, as the Texans square off with the Jaguars.
Week 7: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New Orleans Saints
The NFL heads to Paris for the first time, as the Steelers and Saints will meet at Stade de France in Week 7.
Week 9: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta Falcons
The NFL is heading back to Spain this year, after last year saw the league visit the country for the first time for a regular-season game. On Tuesday the league confirmed that the Bengals will face the Falcons in Week 9:
Week 10: New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions
The NFL, and the Patriots, are going back to Germany. The Patriots will meet the Lions at. FC Bayern Munich Stadium in Munich on November 15.
Week 11: San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings
On Wednesday the league confirmed that the 49ers will face the Vikings in Mexico City during Week 11.
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