The NFL announced a commitment Friday to play at least three regular season games over five years in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, starting next season.
The first game will take place in 2026 at historic Maracana Stadium, a 78,000-capacity facility that opened for the 1950 FIFA World Cup and hosted the opening and closing ceremonies for the Summer Olympics in 2016.
According to the league, Brazil is home to more than 36 million NFL fans. Games have been played in Week 1 in each of the past two seasons in Sao Paulo.
“Building on the success of the games in Sao Paulo, we could not be more excited to play in one of the world’s most iconic cities — Rio de Janeiro,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We look forward to working closely with our city and state partners in Rio along with the historic Maracana Stadium to deepen our ties to the tens of millions of fans in Brazil and across South America.”
Maracana Stadium also hosted the men’s World Cup in 2014 and will host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027.
“The National Football League’s multiyear partnership with Rio, a vibrant city where people want to be, is a perfect match,” said Mayor of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes. “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 Maracana, the most iconic temple of world football.”
On Sept. 5, a crowd of 47,627 fans filled Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo to see the Los Angeles Chargers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs, 27-21.
Participants and a specific date for next year’s game in Brazil will be determined later.
Rio de Janeiro joins a growing list of NFL international host cities, with games also being played this year in Dublin, London, Berlin and Madrid.
–Field Level Media
