NFL schedule release 2026: 9 international games are already beginning to leak

Welcome to NFL schedule release week.

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.

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 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:

The other international games this season include:

• The Jacksonville Jaguars playing in two games in London, one at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium;
• The Washington Commanders playing a game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
• The Detroit Lions playing a game at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany
• The 49ers playing a game at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City
• The New Orleans Saints playing a game in Paris

We’ll update this story as it develops.