Bengals have a real chance at facing the same team in an international game 10 years after the first matchup
Cincinnati is due to go international in 2026.
The NFL revealed there will be nine games to be played in different countries during the 2026 regular season, an increase from the eight international contests played in 2025. That means there’s an even greater chance the Cincinnati Bengals will be packing their bags at some point this year with a trip across the Atlantic Ocean, far south of the border, or maybe even on the exact other side of the Earth!
Three games will be played in London this coming season, and Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, Munich, Paris and Rio de Janeiro will each host one game as well.
Cincinnati could end up going anywhere, but the odds favor a rematch of an international meeting that was first seen 10 years ago.
Watch out for Bengals at Commanders for an international NFL game
There haven’t been any rumors of the Bengals being tabbed as a club going overseas this year; that up to 18 teams will be making a trip just puts the odds in their favor, especially since they haven’t played an international game since 2019.
The Washington Commanders, on the other hand, have been linked to playing a home game in another country in 2026. They played in the first-ever Madrid game last season against the Miami Dolphins, and a report from last November indicated they’ll head out of the U.S. again in 2026.
If the Commanders are playing in another international game next season, Cincinnati becomes a favorite to be their opponent. The league typically reserves inter-conference matchups for its international series, and the Bengals are one of three AFC teams Washington will host next season.
“The Commanders face the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Cincinnati Bengals at home, so you can count on one of those three teams being the opponent. I could see the NFL marketing a Jayden Daniels vs. Joe Burrow international game in 2026, and fans should be excited about that matchup, no matter where it is.” — A to Z Sports Washington’s Josh Taylor
Burrow vs. Daniels was a phenomenal spectacle in their first meeting back in 2024, when the Commanders came into Cincinnati and won a 38-33 shootout. That was also the first time Washington played the Bengals as a road team since 2016, when Cincinnati played host to the club in London.
That’s right. If the Bengals and Commanders face off in one of the three London games this year, it could be so very close to the 10-year anniversary of that showdown. Cincinnati tied Washington, 27-27, in its first-ever international contest.
Cincinnati is overdue to play out of the U.S. as it’s never happened in the Burrow era. The NFL will announce its nine matchups over the course of the offseason leading up to the league-wide schedule release in May.
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