Official: The NFL is returning to Mexico

After years of anticipation, it’s now official: the NFL is returning to Mexico for a regular‑season game.

The league also confirmed that it will return to Madrid, hosting the second NFL game ever played in Spain. The announcement follows a multiyear agreement covering this year and next, and comes after the historic matchup on November 16, 2025, when the Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Commanders 16–13 at the Bernabéu in front of 78,610 fans.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell shared the news during a press conference in Santa Clara as part of Super Bowl LX week.

“We’re going to have nine games internationally. So we’re excited about that, we’re in several new markets - Australia, we’re moving from Rio to Brazil, Paris is a new market, we’re going back to Munich, we’re going to be in London of course. And we have a really big announcement from my standpoint - we’re heading back to Mexico City in December, which I think is wonderful for our fans in Mexico. While they’ve been redoing the stadium for the World Cup, this will a chance for us to get back there this December, we can’t for that either,” Goodell said.

“I think it’s the ambition that we have to be a global sport, but it’s also the demand we’re having. We’re hearing from cities all over the world that want to host these games and that really want to get more American football. That’s one of the things we’re really focused on. I’ve said many times, 16 games - so that every team is playing a regular season game every season. I think that’s an important mark for us to go for. I think we’re well on our way; and hopefully with the desire we have from our side, but also the desire for people to have this in their communities, and some of the greatest cities in the world are all asking can we do this. And we’re getting great reactions from our teams - they all want to play”.

Paris joins the international lineup

The league also announced that Paris will host its first‑ever NFL game this year, with the New Orleans Saints confirmed as the participating team. The matchup will take place at Stade de France, the country’s national stadium.

The last time Mexico hosted: 2022

The NFL hasn’t played in Mexico since November 2022, when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 38–10 in a regular‑season game. Mexico had hosted games consistently since 2016, but renovations at Estadio Azteca — now Estadio Banorte — for the 2026 World Cup forced a pause.

Goodell had hinted early last year that the stadium would be ready to host an NFL game in 2026, joining an expanding list of international venues that includes Spain, France, England, Germany, Brazil, and Australia.

When was the first NFL regular‑season game played in Mexico?

The NFL began exploring international markets to grow the sport beyond the United States. After years of preseason and exhibition games, the league finally took the leap into regular‑season play abroad.

On October 2, 2005, Estadio Azteca in Mexico City hosted the first regular‑season NFL game ever played outside the United States. The Arizona Cardinals beat the San Francisco 49ers 31–14 in front of nearly 103,000 fans.

Super Bowl week kicks off

The week leading up to Super Bowl LX is officially underway. The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will meet on Sunday, February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. More announcements are expected in the coming hours from Peter O’Reilly, the league’s head of international expansion, and commissioner Roger Goodell.

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