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The Baltimore Ravens have been chosen to play the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL’s opening game in Rio de Janeiro this season, the league announced Friday night during the draft.
The match on September 27 will be played at the Maracaná Stadium. CBS and Paramount+ will broadcast the game in the late afternoon.
“We are honored to be chosen for the first NFL game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,” Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in a statement. “The international expansion of our great game has been remarkable. South America is home to some of the most passionate sports fans in the world, including our Ravens Flock in Brazil. We look forward to playing at the iconic Maracana Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys, as our league continues to engage with fans around the world.”
The Cowboys had previously been announced as one of the game’s participants.
“Playing at the legendary Maracana Stadium against the Ravens in front of such a passionate and growing fan base on a global stage will be very special for our team, our entire Cowboys organization and the millions watching at home and around the world,” said Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones.
The NFL previously made a multi-year commitment to bring at least three regular-season games to Rio de Janeiro over the next five years. The NFL has already played two games in Brazil: Packers-Eagles in 2024 and Chiefs-Chargers in 2025 at the Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, but this will be the first in Rio.
The Rio 2026 match is part of a record nine international competitions to be played over the next season, across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums.
The others include three matches in London (two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and one at Wembley Stadium), and one at each of the stadiums: the Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, the Cricket Ground in Melbourne, the Banorte Stadium in Mexico City, the FC Bayern Munich Stadium in Munich and the Stade de France in Paris.
Information from The Associated Press.
