NFL announces return to Mexico City after three-year hiatus and Cowboys may just be involved
The NFL is finally headed back to Mexico, Roger Goodell confirmed Monday.
Update: Since the publishing of this article, ESPN’s John Sutcliffe reported the Cowboys will not play in Mexico but are expected to head to Brazil. He added San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals as candidates to play in Mexico City.
The NFL is returning to Mexico in December 2026 after a three-year hiatus, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Monday.
As part of its efforts to play around the world, the NFL is going back to the country with the most NFL fans outside of the US, per Statista. Before the COVID pandemic in 2020, the league scheduled games in Mexico City for each season from 2016-2019 and later returned in 2022.
However, renovations to Estadio Banorte, mostly known as Estadio Azteca, halted the league’s visits to Mexico. With those renovations set to be finalized for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the iconic stadium will host NFL games for the next three years.
Could Cowboys play in Mexico City?
Goodell said on Monday the NFL didn’t have its full international game schedule just yet, so it remains unclear who will be playing in Estadio Azteca next December. However, Jerry Jones has repeatedly told the media if the Cowboys need to play internationally, he wants it to be in Mexico, where the franchise has a huge presence.
Recently, the San Francisco 49ers have emerged as a strong contender to host the game, though. 49ers owner Ted York recently told Imagen Sports his preference for an international game would be in Mexico.
Previous games in Mexico City
Since the league began its current program of international games, the “NFL International Series,” it has scheduled five games in Mexico City, one of which was relocated days before the game due to poor field conditions following a concert in the venue.
- 2016: Houston Texans vs Oakland Raiders
- 2017: New England Patriots vs Oakland Raiders
- 2018: Kansas City Chiefs vs Los Angeles Rams (relocated to L.A. due to field conditions)
- 2019: Kansas City Chiefs vs Los Angeles Chargers
- 2022: San Francisco 49ers vs Arizona Cardinals
Mexico holds the NFL attendance record
Though the NFL International Series was the beginning of the league taking regular season matchups abroad, Mexico made NFL history all the way back in 1994. Estadio Azteca hosted a preseason matchup between the Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys that still holds the record for most fans in attendance with 112,376.
Though I wouldn’t expect that record to be broken in 2025, it speaks to the passion for football present in Mexico, and why it’s great news for the league to be back in the US’s neighbor country.
As of this writing, the NFL has confirmed nine international games for the 2026 regular season, including a first-ever matchup in Paris, France. Goodell revealed the league’s goal is to hit 16 international games a year. Such a number would guarantee the possibility of all 32 teams playing abroad each year.
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