Eight international games are scheduled.
The National Football League is taking its game on the road in 2026 to three continents, Europe, South America and Australia. The NFL probably expects a warm welcome in each locale bur given geo-political trends lately, that might not happen. The NFL will have one game in Melbourne, Australia, one game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and will play its first game ever in Paris, France. The league is going back to Mexico City after a three-year hiatus because of stadium renovations. The NFL will return to Munich, Germany, to Madrid, Spain and there will be the three games in London. The New Orleans Saints will be playing in the Paris game.
NFL owners think they can conquer the world. The league will be going back to Brazil and will add Australia to the international rotation in 2026. The league has established a permanent presence in London and has played games in Germany and Spain. The NFL, two decades ago, was ready to send Robert Kraft’s Patriots to play in China in 2007 but the league and the Chinese government were unable to work out an arrangement that would have allowed the NFL to present a pre-season game in the country. The plan was to play the game exactly one year prior to the opening of the 2008 Beijing Summer Games. NFL owners want to expand the schedule to 18 games so every team can play an International game annually. There is a pile of money to make in international contests. However, the National Football League Players Association has been uninterested in playing an 18th regular season game. But in the NFL’s culture, money talks and if the owners can put together a good enough financial package, the players could be receptive to adding an extra game. The NFL’s universal language is cash.
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