The NFL's 2026 international schedule is its most ambitious yet: nine regular-season games across seven countries and four continents. Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Paris join established stops in London, Madrid, Munich and Mexico City, giving fans outside the United States an unusually broad live schedule.
The series begins in Australia on September 11 local time and finishes in Mexico on November 22. For viewers trying to follow every game, the biggest complication is not the matchups but the mix of dates, time zones and broadcasters. This guide puts the full official schedule in one place.
Full 2026 NFL international schedule
- September 10 (US) / September 11 (Australia): San Francisco 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, 8:35 p.m. ET / 10:35 a.m. local.
- September 27: Baltimore Ravens vs Dallas Cowboys at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, 4:25 p.m. ET / 5:25 p.m. local.
- October 4: Indianapolis Colts vs Washington Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, 9:30 a.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. local.
- October 11: Philadelphia Eagles vs Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 9:30 a.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. local.
- October 18: Houston Texans vs Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London, 9:30 a.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. local.
- October 25: Pittsburgh Steelers vs New Orleans Saints at Stade de France in Paris, 9:30 a.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. local.
- November 8: Cincinnati Bengals vs Atlanta Falcons at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, 9:30 a.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. local.
- November 15: New England Patriots vs Detroit Lions at FC Bayern Munich Arena, 9:30 a.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. local.
- November 22: Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City, 8:20 p.m. ET / 7:20 p.m. local.
Kickoff details can change, so supporters travelling to a game should confirm the time on the NFL's official schedule before leaving.
Why the Melbourne game is different
The opener between San Francisco and Los Angeles is the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia. It is also scheduled at an unusual hour for the US audience because the league must accommodate a Friday-morning kickoff in Melbourne.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is one of the world's largest sporting venues and is better known for cricket and Australian rules football. Converting it for an NFL game makes the event both a logistical test and a major statement about the league's long-term ambitions in the Asia-Pacific region.
Netflix is listed by the NFL as the US broadcaster for the Melbourne game. International availability can vary by market, so viewers should check local listings and the NFL's official broadcast information.
London remains the centre of the international series
London hosts three games in October, more than any other city on the 2026 international calendar. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium stages the first two, while Wembley hosts Houston against Jacksonville.
Jacksonville appears twice in consecutive London weekends. That creates a rare overseas stretch in which the Jaguars can remain in the same market instead of immediately returning to the United States. It also strengthens the club's long-running relationship with UK supporters.
Paris is the newest European destination. The Steelers and Saints meet at Stade de France on October 25, one week after the final London game. Madrid and Munich then take over in November, spreading the European run across four countries.
How to watch the games
Broadcast rights differ by country and can be updated during the season. In the United States, the official NFL schedule identifies Netflix for the Melbourne opener, while the remaining listings should be checked through NFL.com and local network guides as each date approaches.
Fans outside the US should use their regional NFL broadcast partner or NFL Game Pass availability in their market. A subscription that works in one country may not carry the same live game in another because rights are sold territory by territory.
For the least confusing setup, save the kickoff in your phone's local time zone rather than relying on a manually converted time. Daylight-saving changes in Europe and North America can otherwise create errors later in the schedule.
What the nine-game slate says about the NFL
This is more than a collection of neutral-site games. The league is testing demand in major markets with very different sports cultures: Australia, Brazil, France and Mexico alongside its more established European bases.
The choice of venues also matters. The MCG, Maracana, Wembley, Stade de France and Bernabeu are globally recognised stadiums. Putting regular-season games in those buildings helps the NFL reach casual fans who may know the venue before they know every team.
Nine games still represent only a small share of the full regular season, but the geographical spread is the clearest sign yet that international fixtures are becoming a permanent part of the calendar rather than occasional showcases.
For more global tournament coverage, read our guide to the 2026 World Cup's 48-team format and visit the Sports section for the latest schedules and explainers.
