The second game of the 2025 regular season took place in São Paulo, with the Chiefs-Chargers contest marking the second straight year in which an NFL game was played in Brazil. The league intends to continue that trend in 2026, but another city is being targeted. 
The NFL is expected to play a game in Rio de Janeiro next year, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports. Each of the league’s first two Brazil contests took place at Arena Corinthians in São Paulo, a venue which has a capacity of under 50,000. Playing at the legendary Maracanã Stadium in Rio would represent a notable contrast.
The Maracanã has a capacity above 70,000, and it has hosted a pair of FIFA World Cup finals along with the 2016 Summer Olympics. Jones notes the NFL has long shown interest in staging games in Rio, so it would come as no surprise if that were to take place next fall. A mutual interest is known to exist for a long-term arrangement in Brazil, and discussions have taken place about multiple games per year taking place in the country.
Brazil has long been one of the NFL’s largest international markets. As such, expanding the league’s presence there would be logical given the major investment made in global outreach over recent years. The CBA allows for as many as eight international regular season games per year, and seven will take place over the course of the 2025 season.
Next year, Melbourne will host a game with the Rams operating as the designated home team for the NFL’s first contest in Australia. The 2026 season is also likely to include at least one Brazil game, and it could very well take place in Rio.
It didn’t add anything to the actual game. People had other teams jerseys on, glad Chargers won since they lost a home game.
If the NFL is flying down to Rio again, it won’t be in September 2026. NFL announced there won’t be a Friday-night game in Week 1 next season due to existing federal laws.
It still could be in September, just not ina Friday or Saturday.
They could do TNF, SNF or MNF in Brazil 🇧🇷
Who gives a f