NFL expected to add Rio de Janeiro to its docket of international games in 2026

Later tonight the NFL will kick off its second-ever South American game when the Chiefs and Chargers play in Brazil's most populated city, São Paulo.

And when the NFL continues its international efforts next year in Brazil, it is likely to do so in the country's most popular city.

The NFL is expected to play a game in 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, multiple sources tell CBS Sports. The league has eyed the global city as a host for years, and next year it is likely to finally get a game.

Friday's game, like last year's, will be played in Corinthians Arena, which has a capacity of just less than 50,000. São Paulo has more than 11 million people, which makes it by far the largest city in terms of population in the Americas. But NFL teams traveling to the city stay in hotels hours from the game site, and security briefings they receive ahead of the trip strongly recommend staying only on their hotel grounds.

Rio, roughly 270 miles east along Brazil's South Atlantic coast, has hosted major world events over the decades, including the 2016 Summer Olympics and two World Cup finals. Maracanã Stadium would be the host of an NFL game just as it hosted the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2016 Games, and it has a capacity of more than 70,000. Rio is regarded as a more vibrant city than São Paulo but it, too, presents a variety of security concerns; the 2016 Rio Olympics concluded without a catastrophic incident, but a backdrop of elevated violence tempered a sense of safety for visitors. 

The NFL has been eager to penetrate the South American market in recent years. According to the league, there are 36 million NFL fans in the country, making it the second-largest international market behind only Mexico.

The league is investing tens of millions in its international growth. This year the NFL will play seven of a CBA-allowed eight international games, including a long-awaited debut in Berlin after three years of playing elsewhere in Germany:

• Week 1: Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers (Sao Paulo, Brazil) -- Fri., Sept. 5, 8 p.m. 
• Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers (Dublin, Ireland) -- Sun., Sept. 28, 9:30 a.m.
• Week 5: Minnesota Vikings at Cleveland Browns (London, England) -- Sun., Oct. 5, 9:30 a.m. 
• Week 6: Denver Broncos at New York Jets (London, England) -- Sun., Oct. 12, 9:30 a.m. 
• Week 7: Los Angeles Rams at Jacksonville Jaguars (London, England) -- Sun., Oct. 19, 9:30 a.m.
• Week 10: Atlanta Falcons at Indianapolis Colts (Berlin, Germany) -- Sun, Nov. 9, 9:30 a.m.
• Week 11: Washington Commanders at Miami Dolphins (Madrid, Spain) -- Sun., Nov. 16, 9:30 a.m.

Next year the Rams will play a game in Melbourne, giving the league its fourth continent on which a regular-season game will have been played.

The NFL made its first journey to Brazil in 2024 when the Eagles and Packers played in São Paulo. The game was considered a success by the league despite issues with the playing surface, which the NFL addressed in the weeks leading up to Friday night's AFC West showdown.

Along with the change of scenery, next year's game will also be played on a different day than its predecessors. The Brazil game has been played on Friday in Week 1 because of when Labor Day has fallen on the calendar, allowing the NFL to ably get around the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which limits professional games being played on the second Friday or Saturday of September.

In 2026, Labor Day will be Sept. 7, and the league tends to start its season on the second Thursday of the month. So the NFL will have to find another slot for the Brazil game.