The Baltimore Ravens have been chosen to play the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL’s inaugural game in Rio de Janeiro next season, the league announced Friday night during the draft.
The September 27 game will be played at Maracana Stadium. CBS and Paramount+ will air the late afternoon game.
‘We are honored to be chosen for the NFL’s first-ever game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,’ Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in a release.
‘The international expansion of our great game has been remarkable. South America is home to some of the world’s most passionate sports fans, including our Ravens Flock in Brazil.
‘We look forward to playing in the iconic Maracana Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys, as our league continues to engage with fans across the globe.’
The Cowboys had previously been announced as one of the participants in the game.
The Baltimore Ravens will play the Dallas Cowboys in the first NFL game in Rio de Janeiro
Dak Prescott will take on Lamar Jackson on September 27 at the iconic Maracana Stadium
The NFL will stage at least three regular-season games in Rio de Janeiro in the next five years
‘Playing in the legendary Maracanã Stadium against the Ravens in front of such a passionate and growing fan base on a global stage will be very special for our team, our entire Cowboys organization and the millions watching back home and around the world,’ said Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones.
The NFL previously made a multi-year commitment to bring at least three regular-season games to Rio de Janeiro over the next five years.
The NFL has previously played two games in Brazil – Green Bay Packers vs Philadelphia Eagles in 2024 and Kansas City Chiefs vs Los Angeles Chargers in 2025 at Sao Paulo’s Corinthians Arena – but this will be the first in Rio.
The 2026 Rio game is part of a record nine international contests to be played during the upcoming season, across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums.
The others include three games in London, and one each at Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium, Melbourne’s Cricket Ground, Mexico City’s Estadio Banorte, Munich’s Allianz Arena and Paris’ Stade de France.
