Predicting every NFL International Series matchup for 2026
By Andy Davies
The 2026 NFL International Series feels a lifetime away, with fans currently embarking on the longest offseason in all of sports.
More than ever in 2026, the league will offer fans all over the globe the opportunity to watch the NFL in person. The league is set to see games in London, Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, Munich, Paris and Rio de Janeiro.
We already know the matchup in Australia as the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco take their NFC West rivalry to Melbourne. However, the rest is unclear.
Here is a prediction of each international series matchup for 2026.
A first ever NFL game in Rio
The Dallas Cowboys were named as the home team for the NFL’s first ever game in Rio de Janeiro.
Whilst the NFL has already tasted a flavour for the Brazilian experience through their games in Sao Paolo in 2024 and 2025, they now head to the iconic venue of Rio.
Home of one of the seven Modern wonders of the world, Christ the Redeemer, the NFL will also experience one of the most iconic sporting venues.
Opened in 1950, The Maracanã Stadium hosted the FIFA World Cup final that summer, as well as in 2014. It was also one of the venues for the 2016 Olympics, with a capacity of 78,838.
Prior to safe standing, it saw a total of 173,850 enter its doors for the 1950 World Cup final.
A historic venue will host a historic team as the Dallas Cowboys head to Rio. This will be their first international game since 2014, when they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-17 at Wembley Stadium.
The teams that they host in 2026 are the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Divisional games are very rare for International Series matchups. Prior to 2026, there have been just eight out of the 54 previous regular season games outside the United States to feature in-division matchups. This more than likely rules out the Eagles, Commanders and Giants.
The 49ers have two games internationally, as do the Jaguars. The Titans and Ravens played each other in 2023 in London, but the Cardinals have not played outside of the States since 2022. With the West Coast time difference, this could likely see Arizona play in Brazil this year.
Prediction: Cowboys vs Cardinals.
The NFL returns to London in 2026
The NFL once again takes place in London, as the capital of non-American NFL games resumes for another year.
There has been at least one NFL game in the UK’s capital since 2007, with the exception of the COVID-19 hit 2020 campaign.
After just one game in London last season, the Jags resume their recent tradition of back-to-back games across the pond, a number which could increase in 2027 thanks to the team’s $1.4 billion renovation of EverBank Stadium.
They will host one at Wembley Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur, a venue that will also see the Washington Commanders play as a home team.
Jacksonville’s home opponents for 2026 are the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Titans the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Eagles, Commanders and New England Patriots.
Due to the Commanders already playing in London, they can be ruled out. It is hard to see the Patriots playing internationally in 2026 after doing so in 2023 and 2024.
The same applies for the Colts, who played in Germany in both 2023 and 2025.
Both the Titans and Steelers have played internationally in recent times, in 2023 and 2025 respectively, but the same cannot be said for the Bengals and Eagles.
In 2018, the Eagles played in London as defending Super Bowl champions and beat Jacksonville at Wembley Stadium. Meanwhile, the Texans last came to the UK in 2019, when they beat down a lowly Jaguars team.
With a lack of international games for either team, there is a good chance that these will be the two teams to take on the Jaguars in 2026.
Prediction: Jaguars vs Eagles (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) and Texans (Wembley Stadium).
For the Commanders, it is a second consecutive year of playing games internationally.
They were part of the first ever game in Madrid, when they lost to the Miami Dolphins in overtime. History was also made in their only other game outside of America.
Back in 2015 under a previously used alias, they faced the Cincinnati Bengals. This saw the only ever tie in International Series history as the game ended 27-27.
This could very well be the matchup in London in what would be the third out of three UK games to feature rematches of previous games across the pond.
For reasons previously stated, there is a slim chance of the Colts, Cowboys, Giants or Eagles facing off against them.
With the Texans predicted to play the Jaguars in London, Falcons being named as the home team for Madrid and the Rams in Melbourne, they are teams that can be ruled out.
The Seahawks are the only other team that could play this game, especially given the nationality of their defensive coordinator. However, they feel more likely to be a home team in the next couple of years.
Prediction: Commanders vs Bengals.
Paris takes on the NFL
For the first time in NFL history, there will be a regular season game played in France as Paris’ Stade de France hosts the occasion.
The New Orleans Saints were announced as the home team for the game, a given considering the history of the city.
In 2026, they will host the Falcons, Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Steelers and Buccaneers.
It feels a lot easier to predict the matchup of this game, given the strong reports of the Browns being the team to face the Saints a week after the conclusion of the London series.
Prediction: Saints vs Browns.
Can Germany once again deliver the goods?
The NFL returns to Munich after a year absence.
This will be the sixth NFL game in Germany, having previously played in Munich and Frankfurt, as well as Berlin who hosted the 2025 game.
Germany have been well received by the NFL, with the passion from the fanbase clear to see. They have also been treated to some great games, with two of the only four international games to go to overtime happening in Germany in 2024 and 2025.
This year, the Detroit Lions are the designated home team, allowing star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to play in the county that holds so much meaning to him. His mother is German and he even speaks the language fluently.
In 2026, the Lions host the Packers, Chicago Bears, Vikings, Saints, Buccaneers, Giants, Patriots, New York Jets and Titans.
Once again, there is a sense that division matchups should be ruled out, as can the Saints who are playing in Paris.
Whilst the Jets have done lot of community work in the UK, it is hard to see them playing for a third straight year internationally. It is also hard to see the Patriots playing for reasons stated before.
This leaves the Buccaneers, Giants and Titans. Both the Buccaneers and Giants have played in Germany before and have big followings in the country. The Titans have a new logo and jerseys, but they do not have marketing rights in Germany, which makes their chances of being the away team that much harder.
This leaves the Giants and Buccaneers, who both have marketing rights in Germany. It feels the hardest to predict, but the edge goes to the Buccaneers given their slightly longer international series game drought.
Prediction: Lions vs Buccaneers
Who will play the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid?
After Madrid’s first ever NFL game in 2025, the Spanish capital is back for more in 2026.
The Santiago Bernabéu stadium hosted the Dolphins’ clash against the Commanders and this time turn to the NFC South in 2026 as the Falcons were named as the home team.
With offensive weapons such as running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London, this will be a duo that will excite the Spanish crowd.
It could also be back-to-back years playing in Madrid for Atlanta’s offseason signing Tua Tagovailoa, who could be the starter by the time this game comes after playing for Miami there in 2025.
The Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Bears, Lions, Ravens, Bengals, 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs are scheduled to be the road team against the Falcons in 2026.
With the Saints, Lions and 49ers all scheduled to play abroad this season, they can be ruled out, as can the Buccaneers and Bengals who have both been predicted in this article to be the road teams for this season’s International Series.
This leaves the Panthers, Bears, Chiefs and Ravens available to play against the Falcons.
With the Bears having marketing rights in Spain, there is a very good chance they play in this game.
Prediction: Falcons vs Bears
The NFL welcomes back Mexico City in 2026
After multiple years of absence, Mexico will once again host an NFL game.
There have just been two games in Mexico City since 2017, in 2019 and 2022. There was also scheduled to be a game in 2018 between the Chiefs and Rams which was moved back to LA due to pitch concerns. This ended up being the infamous 54-51 thriller.
The 49ers hosted the Cardinals in the last Mexico game in 2022 and they will once again be the home team in what will be their second game on foreign soil in 2026.
Their opponents as a home team will be the Rams, Cardinals, Seahawks, Eagles, Commanders, Vikings, Denver Broncos, Raiders and Dolphins.
With the Rams already announced as the road team for the 49ers’ Australia game, the Commanders playing in London and the Eagles and Cardinals predicted in this article to play in London and Rio respectively, this leaves the Seahawks, Vikings, Broncos, Raiders and Dolphins to predict to be the road team for the Mexico City game.
As a result of the West coast time difference, it feels likely to be the Seahawks or Raiders.
With the Raiders having a huge fanbase in Mexico, they are the predicted road team for the game.
Prediction: 49ers vs Raiders
ANDY DAVIES
NFL ANALYST
ANDY IS A SPORTS JOURNALISM GRADUATE WITH OVER SIX YEARS EXPERIENCE OF NFL WRITING AND PODCASTING. ANDY HAS BEEN TO EVERY NFL STADIUM AND IS THE HOST OF THE ACROSS THE POD PODCAST. HE HAS PRESS PASS EXPERIENCE AT THE LONDON GAMES AND MANY OTHER NFL BASED EVENTS SUCH AS SUPER BOWL LIX AND LX, HAVING INTERVIEWED THE LIKES OF AARON RODGERS, JUSTIN JEFFERSON, JASON BELL, OSI UMENYIORA, PATRICK MAHOMES, TRAVIS KELCE, DERRICK HENRY, SAQUON BARKLEY AND JALEN HURTS