The 2026 NFL regular season will begin Wednesday, September 9 in Seattle-breaking from the traditional Thursday night opener. The Super Bowl champion Seahawks will host the kickoff game, with their opponent to be revealed when the full schedule drops this spring.
The following day, the San Francisco 49ers meet the Los Angeles Rams in the first regular-season NFL game in Melbourne, Australia, set for 8:35 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 10.
The league will play a record nine international games across four continents in 2026. New host cities include Melbourne, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro, joining returning markets London, Madrid, Mexico City, and Munich.
Maracanã Stadium in Rio and Stade de France in Paris will host NFL games for the first time.