NFL Will Return To Mexico City In 2026

Early on Monday, league announcements stated the NFL reached an agreement to continue staging games in Madrid in 2026 and beyond. Next season will also see the league’s first ever contest played in Paris.

At that point, there were eight overseas games slated to take place during the 2026 season. When speaking to reporters during Super Bowl media day, though, commissioner Roger Goodell announced a return to Mexico City will also take place next season. That confirms nine contests will be played outside the United States during the 2026 campaign as the league’s exploration and cultivation of foreign markets continues.

The Estadio Azteca has recently been undergoing renovations in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It last hosted an NFL game in 2022, but a return in December of this year will be taking place. An NFL statement later revealed the league will continue staging games in Mexico City during the 2027 and 2028 seasons as well as part of a new agreement which has been reached.

Goodell also confirmed (via Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated) the NFL’s intention is to play 16 international games per year in the future. In the likely event the regular season is expanded from 17 games to 18 relatively soon, an arrangement which sees every team play one contest outside the United States annually is expected to be made. For now, the 2026 campaign is set to include an increase in overseas games compared to the seven which took place this past season.

London will once again host three regular season games next year, while Munich and Rio de Janeiro will each serve as the location of one contest. In addition to a Madrid return and a Paris debut, the league will also stage a game in Melbourne for the first time in 2026. It is already known the Rams will be involved in the inaugural Australia contest, while the Saints be making the trip to Paris. It has yet to be announced which teams will participate in the NFL’s return to Mexico City.