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The Baltimore Ravens have been picked to face the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL’s inaugural 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 Maracanã stadium. CBS and Paramount+ will broadcast the game late in the afternoon.
“We are honored to be chosen for the first-ever NFL game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,” Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in a statement. “The international expansion of our great sport 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 in the iconic Maracanã Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys, as our league continues to engage with fans around the world.”
The Cowboys had already been announced as one of the participants in the game.
“Playing in the legendary Maracanã Stadium against the Ravens in front of such a passionate and growing fan base on the world stage will be very special for our team, our entire Cowboys organization and the millions of people watching at home and around the world,” said Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones.
The NFL had already made a multi-year commitment to hold at least three regular season games in 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 Corinthians Arena in São Paulo – but this will be the first in Rio.
The Rio 2026 match is one of a record nine international competitions to be played over the coming 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 each at Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Mexico City’s Estadio Banorte, Munich’s FC Bayern Munich Stadium and Paris’ Stade de France.
Associated Press reporting.
