Dallas Cowboys to play 2026 regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro

In September, the NFL announced a multiyear commitment to play at least three regular-season games over five years in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, beginning in 2026. Next season’s game will be played at Rio’s Maracanã Stadium.

“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,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said at the time. “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.”

Rio de Janeiro mayor is ready for the city to host the Cowboys

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

This will be the second international regular-season game for the Cowboys. Their first was in 2014, when they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London. The reason for the lack of international exposure for Dallas is that owner Jerry Jones has been reluctant to surrender a home game.

Cowboys fans are hoping that the team can win the history-making contest and get on a run. Dallas has struggled the last two seasons, finishing 7-10 in 2024 and 7-9-1 in 2025. The two losing seasons came after the Cowboys had three consecutive 12-5 years and two NFC East titles.