The NFL is staging its most expansive international season yet, with nine games scheduled across seven countries and four continents next year. The league on Wednesday unveiled matchups that include historic debuts in Melbourne and Paris, along with returns to established markets in London, Europe, and Latin America.
The campaign kicks off in Australia with the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams meeting at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Week 1. The September 11 matchup represents the first NFL game ever played on the continent, as part of a multi-year arrangement finalized last year. Local fans will catch the contest at 10:35am on Friday morning, while East Coast U.S. viewers tune in Thursday evening at 8:35pm.
Two weeks later, the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys will square off in Rio de Janeiro at the Maranã stadium, marking the league's return to Brazil. That Week 3 game on September 27 sends the action south of the equator before the schedule pivots back to the Northern Hemisphere.
London dominates the fall slate with three consecutive October contests. The Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders open at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 4, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles facing Jacksonville at the same venue a week later. The Jaguars then host consecutive home games abroad when they take on the Houston Texans at Wembley Stadium on October 18.
Week 7 brings the NFL to France for the first time ever, with the Pittsburgh Steelers playing the New Orleans Saints at Stade de France in Paris on October 25. Germany gets its moment in Week 10 when the New England Patriots meet the Detroit Lions at Munich's Allianz Arena on November 15.
The schedule fills out with stops in Spain, Mexico, and another U.S. West Coast matchup abroad. Cincinnati plays Atlanta at Madrid's Bernabéu on November 8, while Minnesota hosts San Francisco at Mexico City's Estadio Banorte on November 22. Jacksonville and San Francisco each appear in two international fixtures across the slate.
The complete regular-season schedule will drop on Thursday, giving teams and fans the broader picture of how these global games fit into the full campaign.
Author James Rodriguez: "The NFL is no longer content playing the occasional exhibition game overseas; this is a full-throated bet that American football has genuine international appeal, and the venues chosen suggest the league sees a real market, not just a novelty tour."
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