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The National Football League officially unveiled its full regular-season schedule for the 2026 season on Thursday evening, confirming the dates and times of the 272 games to be played this year.
Among the most anticipated matchups, the defending champion Seattle Seahawks will open the season at home against the New England Patriots in a rematch of the last Super Bowl. This game will be played on Wednesday, September 9, an unusual decision made by the league to facilitate the logistics surrounding a historic event: the very first NFL game in Australia.
A Historic First Game in Australia
The very next day after the season opener, the Los Angeles Rams will face the San Francisco 49ers at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground in a divisional showdown that will mark the NFL's official debut on Australian soil.
An increasingly international NFL
The league is clearly continuing its global expansion with a total of nine international games on the schedule this season. In addition to Australia, the NFL will also present:
- its very first game in France;
- a third consecutive visit to Brazil;
- a return to Mexico for the first time since 2022.
This strategy confirms the NFL's commitment to further competing with major international sports leagues by expanding its reach worldwide.
Major matchups starting in Week 1
The first Sunday Night Football game of the season will pit the Dallas Cowboys against the New York Giants. This will mark yet another chapter in a historic NFC East rivalry.
Monday Night Football will then feature the Denver Broncos against the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes's health will be a particular focus following his serious knee injury last December.
If Mahomes isn't ready for the start of the season, Justin Fields could get the start for Kansas City.
Netflix and Christmas Take Center Stage
The NFL also continues to innovate on the television front. This season will mark the debut of the first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game broadcast on Netflix.
With this new addition, along with the traditional Thanksgiving and Black Friday games, the league will feature five games in just two days during this period.
The NFL is also continuing its direct challenge to the National Basketball Association's popularity during the holiday season with a game on December 24 and three others on Christmas Day.
The Rams Dominate Prime Time
The Rams will be the most-featured team this season with seven prime-time games. The Seahawks, Cowboys, Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Green Bay Packers will follow with six appearances each.
Conversely, some teams like the New York Jets, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Tennessee Titans, the Miami Dolphins, and the Arizona Cardinals did not get any prime-time games.
A season that's already shaping up to be spectacular
With the addition of new international markets, an even more aggressive TV schedule, and several major rivalries right from the opening weeks, the NFL is clearly banking on a spectacular schedule to maintain its media dominance.
The countdown is now officially on: there are less than four months left until the return of NFL football.
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