After a three-year hiatus, the NFL will return to Mexico in 2026. The first team has now been confirmed.

The NFL will return to Mexico in the 2026 regular season as part of its International Series. The league has now announced the first team that will play at Azteca Stadium: the San Francisco 49ers. “We are very excited to welcome the San Francisco 49ers back to Mexico City for the 2026 NFL Mexico Game,” said Arturo Olive, NFL Director General. “Returning to Estadio Banorte underscores our strong, ongoing commitment to Mexico. Few places exude such energy, and we look forward to returning to a country that has played such a significant role in the growth of our sport.”

NFL: San Francisco 49ers have played in Mexico before

Al Guido, CEO of the San Francisco 49ers, is also excited: “After two unforgettable games in Mexico City in 2005 and 2022, we look forward to seeing our loyal Mexican fans again and are excited about the energy that local fans will bring to give our team a real home advantage abroad.”

The 49ers’ opponent, as well as the date and kickoff time of the game, will be announced when the full NFL schedule for 2026 is released in the spring.

To date, five games have been played at the legendary Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The NFL hosted games there every year from 2016 to 2019, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL returned for a one-time event in 2022.
The stadium was then closed and has since been undergoing renovations for the 2026 World Cup. Among other things, the Aztec Stadium hosted the legendary game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams in the 2019 season, which the Rams won 54-51.

NFL wants to tap into Asian market

This is already the second NFL International Game for the 49ers. Next year, the NFL will also be visiting Australia for the first time, with the Rams already confirmed as the home team for the game in Melbourne, where they will face their division rivals from the Bay Area. Goodell also announced that international games would soon be expanding to Asia. “If you want to operate globally, you have to go beyond Europe and America,” Goodell said. “You have to tap into other regions and territories. Next year we’re going to Australia. We also have plans to go to Asia shortly thereafter,” he explained. Other countries where the NFL already plays regular season games include Germany, Spain, Brazil, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.