NFL sees continued global expansion as major focus of the 2026 schedule

J.J. Watt might not like it, but the NFL’s international traveling circus is only continuing to grow.

On a conference call today to highlight the 2026 schedule, NFL Executive VP Hans Schroeder said that while every team’s 2026 opponents have been known since the end of the 2025 season, when it came to making the full schedule, the nine international games were a major focus.

“We know all 272 matchups, we know what the next year’s going to look like with every team, who everybody’s playing,” Schroeder said. “A key area is the league’s continued global expansion, and our most ever, nine games played outside the United States.”

This year the league will play one game in Melbourne, one game in Rio de Janeiro, one game in Paris, one game in Munich, one game in Mexico City, one game in Madrid and three games in London. Nine international games is an all-time record, but it’s safe to say that all-time record will soon be broken. The NFL views the international games as a major part of the league’s growth, and a major part of the schedule, year after year.