The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens traveled thousands of miles from home to play a regular-season NFL game in Rio de Janeiro because Brazil has become one of the league’s most important international growth markets.
The Ravens’ 34-31 victory over the Cowboys on September 27, 2026, was the first NFL regular-season game ever played in Rio and the third played in Brazil. It was held at the legendary Maracanã Stadium, one of the world’s most recognizable sports venues. [NFL]
But the game was not a one-time experiment. The NFL has signed a multiyear agreement to play at least three regular-season games in Rio over five years. The move is part of an increasingly aggressive strategy to transform the NFL from a predominantly American sports league into a global sports property with regular games on several continents. [NFL]
Why Did The NFL Play A Game In Rio De Janeiro?
The primary reason is international expansion.
The NFL estimates that Brazil has more than 36 million NFL fans, making it one of the league’s largest fan bases outside the United States. [NFL]
The league had already tested the Brazilian market with successful games in São Paulo in 2024 and 2025.
Rather than simply returning to the same stadium every year, the NFL expanded into another enormous Brazilian city and selected one of the most famous stadiums in international sports.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the Rio agreement was designed to build on the success of the São Paulo games and deepen the league’s relationship with its tens of millions of Brazilian and South American fans. [NFL]
Why Is Brazil So Important To The NFL?
Brazil represents something every major American sports league wants: a huge population with an already-established interest in its product and considerable room for additional growth.
The NFL says Brazil has more than 36 million football fans and describes it as its second-largest international fan base. [NFL]
That means the league does not have to introduce American football to a completely unfamiliar audience.
Millions of Brazilians already watch NFL games, follow teams and players, purchase merchandise and participate in football-related events.
Playing actual regular-season games in Brazil gives those fans something television alone cannot provide: the opportunity to experience an NFL game without traveling to the United States.
Why Did The NFL Move From São Paulo To Rio?
The NFL did not abandon São Paulo. It expanded beyond it.
The league’s first two Brazilian regular-season games were played at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo:
2024: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers
2025: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
The 2025 game drew 47,627 fans. The NFL cited the success of the São Paulo games when announcing its move into Rio. [NFL]
The strategy allows the NFL to expand its footprint within Brazil rather than concentrating its entire presence in one city.
Rio also gives the league a globally recognizable destination that can market the game to international fans as an event worth traveling to attend.
Why Did The NFL Choose Maracanã Stadium?
Because Maracanã is one of the most famous stadiums in the world.
Opened in 1950, the Rio stadium has hosted some of the biggest events in international sports, including FIFA World Cup matches and events connected to the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Its history makes it much more than simply a stadium large enough to accommodate an NFL field.
Playing at Maracanã allowed the NFL to associate its first Rio game with a venue immediately recognizable to sports fans around the world.
The league itself repeatedly emphasized Maracanã’s iconic status when announcing the game. [NFL]
Why Did The NFL Choose The Cowboys?
The Cowboys were an obvious team to use for a major international showcase because they are one of the NFL’s most recognizable franchises.
The NFL actually announced Dallas as the first participant in the Rio game before revealing its opponent.
When announcing the Cowboys in February 2026, NFL Brazil general manager Luis Martinez described bringing one of the league’s most iconic teams to Maracanã as an important milestone in growing the sport internationally. [NFL]
Dallas also had not played a regular-season international game since 2014.
Sending the Cowboys therefore gave the NFL a globally recognizable brand for the first game in a new city rather than using two teams with relatively limited international profiles.
Why Did The NFL Choose The Ravens?
Baltimore gave the NFL another high-profile franchise and one of football’s most recognizable quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson.
The Ravens described the matchup as one between two marquee NFL franchises and noted Jackson’s international profile when the game was announced. [Baltimore Ravens]
The matchup also made scheduling sense.
Dallas and Baltimore were already scheduled to play each other during the 2026 regular season because of the NFL’s rotating interconference schedule.
The league therefore did not create an additional matchup specifically for Brazil. It relocated a game that was already part of the regular-season schedule.
Was Cowboys-Ravens A Dallas Home Game?
Yes.
The Cowboys were the designated home team even though the game was played in Brazil rather than at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
International games still require one club to surrender a conventional home game.
For scheduling and record purposes, Dallas was the home team and Baltimore was the visiting team. [Baltimore Ravens]
Why Would The Cowboys Give Up A Home Game?
Teams participating in the NFL’s international schedule occasionally surrender one of their normal home dates as part of the league’s international-game system.
For Dallas, the tradeoff was an opportunity to take one of the NFL’s most valuable brands into an enormous overseas market.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones embraced the opportunity, saying that playing at Maracanã in front of Brazil’s growing fan base would be special for the organization and the millions watching around the world. [NFL]
The game therefore served a larger branding purpose than an ordinary home date.
Was This The First NFL Game In Brazil?
No.
It was the first NFL game in Rio de Janeiro and the third regular-season NFL game played in Brazil.
The previous games were:
September 6, 2024: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers — São Paulo
September 5, 2025: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs — São Paulo
September 27, 2026: Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys — Rio de Janeiro
The first two games were played at Corinthians Arena. The third shifted the league’s Brazilian expansion to Maracanã. [NFL Football Operations]
Was Cowboys-Ravens The First NFL Game In South America?
No.
The 2024 Eagles-Packers game in São Paulo was the NFL’s first regular-season game in South America.
Cowboys-Ravens was significant because it was the league’s first game in Rio de Janeiro.
Is The NFL Coming Back To Rio?
Yes, barring a future change to the agreement.
The NFL made a multiyear commitment to stage at least three regular-season games in Rio over five years beginning in 2026. [NFL]
That makes Cowboys-Ravens the beginning of an extended relationship rather than a standalone exhibition.
The future teams and exact dates have not all been announced.
Why Does The NFL Play Regular-Season Games Overseas?
The NFL wants to create permanent fan bases outside the United States.
For decades, the league’s enormous financial success was overwhelmingly tied to the American market.
International games give the NFL opportunities to develop:
New television and streaming audiences
International sponsorships
Merchandise sales
Ticket and hospitality revenue
Team-specific overseas fan bases
Youth football participation
Flag football participation
Long-term commercial relationships with international cities
The NFL describes international growth as a major strategic priority for both the league and its 32 teams. [NFL]
How Big Has The NFL International Schedule Become?
It is no longer limited to a couple of games in London.
The NFL scheduled a record nine international regular-season games in 2026, spread across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums. [NFL]
The 2026 international schedule included games in:
Melbourne, Australia
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
London, England
Paris, France
Madrid, Spain
Munich, Germany
Mexico City, Mexico
Rio and Paris joined the regular-season international rotation for the first time, while the league also staged its first regular-season game in Australia. [NFL Football Operations]
Why Is The NFL Expanding So Aggressively Overseas?
The NFL is already extraordinarily successful in the United States, which means international markets represent one of its biggest remaining opportunities for substantial audience growth.
There are billions of potential sports consumers outside the United States.
Soccer, basketball and other sports have enormous international footprints. The NFL wants American football to occupy a larger portion of that global sports economy.
Regular-season games are one of its most effective marketing tools because they give overseas fans something significantly more valuable than preseason exhibitions.
The games actually count.
Why Not Just Play Preseason Games Overseas?
The NFL used that model extensively in the past.
Its old American Bowl series brought preseason games to international markets including London, Tokyo, Mexico City and Sydney.
But preseason games do not have the same stakes, television value or star participation as regular-season contests.
A real Cowboys-Ravens game affects playoff standings.
Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson and other stars are playing because the result counts exactly the same as a game in Dallas or Baltimore.
That makes regular-season games much more powerful tools for developing international interest.
Why Was The Game Played In Week 3 Instead Of Week 1?
The first two NFL games in Brazil were played on Friday during Week 1.
Cowboys-Ravens was different.
The game took place on Sunday of Week 3 at 4:25 p.m. ET, which meant both teams had already played two regular-season games before traveling to Brazil. [NFL]
The later date allowed the teams to enter the international game with regular-season preparation and game film already available.
It also demonstrated that Brazil was becoming part of the normal NFL calendar rather than simply serving as a special opening-week destination.
Why Didn’t The Game Start Early Like London Games?
Rio is much closer to the major U.S. time zones than Europe.
The game kicked off at 5:25 p.m. local time in Rio and 4:25 p.m. Eastern Time. [NFL]
That allowed CBS to place Cowboys-Ravens in a familiar Sunday afternoon NFL television window.
For American viewers, it essentially looked like a normal late-afternoon Sunday game despite being played in South America.
That is a significant advantage Brazil has over European international locations, where local evening kickoffs often translate into morning or early-afternoon U.S. broadcasts.
Is Rio Easier For NFL Travel Than Europe?
In some respects, yes.
Rio is geographically far from the United States, but the time-zone difference is relatively small.
That can reduce the severe body-clock disruption associated with playing in Europe or Australia.
The Ravens, for example, practiced normally in Baltimore on Wednesday and Thursday, flew to Brazil Thursday night and arrived Friday morning. [Baltimore Ravens]
The travel is still substantial, but teams do not have to adapt to the kind of dramatic time change associated with a trip to London, Germany or Melbourne.
Did The NFL Do Anything In Rio Besides Play The Game?
Yes.
The league treated the game as a weeklong marketing event rather than simply flying the teams in for three hours of football.
From September 20 through September 27, the NFL held fan events and promotional activities around Rio, including:
Fan experiences
Photo opportunities
NFL merchandise locations
Community programs
Football-related activities
Displays involving the Lombardi Trophy and Super Bowl rings
The strategy is designed to turn the international game into a broader introduction to the NFL brand.
What Does Flag Football Have To Do With The NFL’s Brazil Strategy?
The NFL is not only trying to create spectators. It also wants more people playing football.
NFL Flag programs operate in Brazil, including youth competitions in São Paulo and Rio.
The timing is particularly important because flag football will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The NFL believes flag football provides a relatively accessible way to introduce American football to countries where traditional tackle football does not have a deeply established infrastructure.
The league specifically cited its Brazilian NFL Flag programs when announcing the Rio expansion. [NFL]
Does The NFL Make Money For The Host City?
Host cities believe the games can generate substantial economic activity.
São Paulo officials said the inaugural 2024 NFL game generated an estimated $60 million in economic impact, including spending involving hotels, transportation, restaurants and other tourism-related businesses. [NFL]
Rio officials cited similar economic reasons for entering the multiyear partnership.
Rio state officials said hosting NFL games could boost tourism, create jobs, stimulate the local economy and reinforce the city’s position as an international sports destination. [NFL]
Why Was There Controversy About The Maracanã Field?
The biggest concern before Cowboys-Ravens involved the playing surface.
Maracanã primarily hosts soccer and had been heavily used. Local players had complained about the condition of the grass before the NFL game.
That raised obvious concerns because NFL players require reliable footing for cutting, blocking and tackling, and the league had previously faced criticism over the field at its first São Paulo game.
NFL officials monitored the surface and took precautionary measures before the game. NFL field director Nick Pappas said before kickoff that the league had “no concerns” and that relocating the game was not being discussed. [Baltimore Ravens]
Why Use Soccer Stadiums For NFL Games?
There are very few purpose-built American football stadiums outside North America capable of hosting an NFL-sized event.
The league therefore relies heavily on major soccer and multipurpose venues.
That includes stadiums such as:
Wembley Stadium in London
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London
Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid
Allianz Arena in Munich
Corinthians Arena in São Paulo
Maracanã in Rio
The NFL works with the venues to accommodate the different dimensions, sidelines, goalposts, locker-room requirements, broadcast infrastructure and playing-surface demands of American football.
Could Brazil Eventually Get An NFL Team?
The Rio agreement does not mean Brazil is receiving a permanent NFL franchise.
The league has announced regular-season games and long-term market development, not expansion or relocation to Brazil.
A permanent franchise would involve far more complicated questions involving travel, scheduling, stadium operations, player logistics, taxes, labor agreements and competitive balance.
For now, the NFL’s strategy is to establish a recurring presence through international games rather than create a Brazilian team.
Could The NFL Eventually Play More Than One Brazil Game Per Season?
It is possible, but no annual multi-game Brazilian schedule has been guaranteed.
The league has demonstrated that it is willing to expand successful international markets. London, for example, now regularly hosts multiple games in a season.
The Rio agreement guarantees at least three games over five years, while the league already has experience staging games in São Paulo.
If demand remains strong, Brazil gives the NFL more than one viable major-city market for future international games.
Why Was Cowboys-Ravens A Particularly Good Showcase?
The NFL could have sent less recognizable teams to introduce Rio to regular-season football.
Instead, it selected two prominent franchises.
Dallas brought the Cowboys brand, Dak Prescott and one of the largest fan bases in American professional sports.
Baltimore brought Lamar Jackson, a multiple-time NFL MVP and one of the league’s most recognizable and entertaining players.
The Ravens called it a matchup between two marquee teams when the game was announced. [Baltimore Ravens]
That was important because the NFL was not merely filling a schedule slot. It was trying to make a strong first impression in a new host city.
Who Won The First NFL Game In Rio?
The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Dallas Cowboys 34-31 on September 27, 2026.
The result gave Baltimore the distinction of winning the first NFL regular-season game ever staged in Rio de Janeiro.
The game counted exactly the same in the standings as any other regular-season contest.
Cowboys-Ravens In Rio At A Glance
Game: Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys
Date: September 27, 2026
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Stadium: Maracanã Stadium
Final score: Ravens 34, Cowboys 31
Designated home team: Dallas Cowboys
Significance: First NFL regular-season game in Rio
Brazil NFL games: Third overall after two in São Paulo
Estimated NFL fans in Brazil: More than 36 million
Rio agreement: At least three regular-season games over five years beginning in 2026
2026 international schedule: Record nine games
Main reason: NFL international expansion and development of the Brazilian market
So Why Did The NFL Really Send The Cowboys And Ravens To Rio?
The simplest answer is that the NFL believes Brazil can become one of its biggest markets outside the United States.
The league had already demonstrated that Brazilians would attend regular-season games in São Paulo. The next step was expanding into Rio, using one of the world’s most famous stadiums and two recognizable franchises to make the first game there feel like a major international sporting event.
Dallas supplied one of the NFL’s most famous brands. Baltimore supplied Lamar Jackson and another championship-caliber franchise. Maracanã supplied a globally recognizable setting.
But the most important number may be 36 million — the NFL’s estimate of its Brazilian fan base. [NFL]
The league is trying to turn those people from fans who primarily experience the NFL through television and the internet into a deeper, year-round market for games, merchandise, sponsorships, youth programs and flag football.
That is also why Cowboys-Ravens should not be viewed as an isolated novelty. The NFL has already committed to at least two more Rio games during its five-year agreement.
In other words, the NFL did not take the Cowboys and Ravens to Brazil simply to stage an exotic neutral-site game. Rio is part of the league’s long-term attempt to make the NFL a more genuinely global sports business.
