NFL heads back to Brazil for Rio fixture

Article posted by Coliseum, October 13^th, 2025

Image: Coliseum GSVA

The next leg of the NFL’s international journey will take it to the iconic Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro in 2026.

The NFL said that beginning in 2026, a new multiyear commitment will bring a minimum of three regular season games over five years to Brazil, as the NFL prioritizes global expansion and takes its international games to new cities around the world.

With more than 36 million NFL fans across the country, the league will again return to Brazil in 2026 to play its first regular season game in Rio at Maracanã Stadium.

The 78,838-capacity Maracanã Stadium, officially named as the Journalist Mário Filho Stadium, is an association football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “Building on the success of the games in São Paulo, we could not be more excited to play in one of the world’s most iconic cities — Rio de Janeiro.

“We look forward to working closely with our city and state partners in Rio along with the historic Maracanã Stadium to deepen our ties to the tens of millions of fans in Brazil and across South America.”

The NFL has played two games in Brazil (2024: Packers-Eagles; 2025: Chiefs-Chargers) in São Paulo at Corinthians Arena and will now expand its presence across the country to Rio.

Most recently, the 2025 NFL São Paulo game drew a crowd of 47,627 fans at Corinthians Arena on Sept. 5 during the league’s 2025 Kickoff Weekend. The Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 27-21.

Mayor of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes said, “The National Football League’s multiyear partnership with Rio, a vibrant city where people want to be, is a perfect match.

“It will be a historic event, as NFL games will be included on our city’s official calendar. I’m looking forward to seeing an American football game at Maracanã, the most iconic temple of world football.”

Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro Cláudio Castro said, “We are delighted to announce that Maracanã Stadium will host a regular-season NFL game next year in Rio de Janeiro.

“Brazil is now the second-largest consumer of American football outside the United States, and thousands of tourists and sports fans have dreamed of experiencing this event at the world’s most famous stadium.

“Bringing the NFL to Rio is a milestone that will boost tourism, create jobs, stimulate the economy and show the strength of our state as an international sports destination.”

In addition to regular season games, the NFL is committed to growing the game at every level in Brazil, engaging with fans year-round through partners, programs and initiatives, including NFL Flag, and community events.

Fifty-six regular season NFL games have been played internationally throughout the league’s history, with Frankfurt, London, Mexico City, Munich, São Paulo and Toronto hosting games to date.

So far this season international games have been played in São Paulo and Dublin, with London, Berlin and Madrid set to host games in the coming weeks.

In 2026, Melbourne, Australia will also stage a game for the first time at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the league’s inaugural regular-season game on the continent.

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