Cowboys will play NFL's first game in Rio de Janeiro, team's first international game in 12 years
Cowboys will play NFL's first game in Rio de Janeiro, team's first international game in 12 years
Andy BackstromFri, February 6, 2026 at 1:18 AM UTC
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"America's Team" is going international for the first time in 12 years.
The Dallas Cowboys will be one of the participating teams in the NFL's first game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next season.
The date and time of the game, as well as the Cowboys' opponent, will be announced at a later date, per a league release Thursday night. It will be played in the Maracanã Stadium, which famously hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup final.
The NFL has already played two games in Brazil, but those took place in São Paulo at Corinthians Arena, where the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 6, 2024, and the Los Angeles Chargers bested the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 5, 2025. Both were season openers, and both were decided by one score.
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The Cowboys' game in Rio will be their first overseas since 2014, when they faced off against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
It will also mark the franchise's 11th time playing an international game, however, nine of those matchups have arrived during the preseason, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which listed those 10 prior games as such:
2014 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars | London
2001 vs. Oakland Raiders | Mexico City (preseason)
2000 vs. Atlanta Falcons | Tokyo (preseason)
1998 vs. New England Patriots | Mexico City (preseason)
1996 vs. Kansas City Chiefs | Monterrey (preseason)
1995 vs. Buffalo Bills | Toronto (preseason)
1994 vs. Houston Oilers | Mexico City (preseason)
1993 vs. Detroit Lions | London (preseason)
1992 vs. Houston Oilers | Tokyo (preseason)
1986 vs. Chicago Bears | London (preseason)
The NFL also announced Thursday that the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will play in the league's first game in Melbourne, Australia, next season.
In total, there will be an NFL-record nine international games during the 2026 campaign.
Source: “AOL Sports”
