We finally know who the Dallas Cowboys are playing in Brazil in the 2026 NFL season, and most importantly in what week
Earlier in the year, the NFL announced the Dallas Cowboys will play the first-ever game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Now we know their opponent over a month in advance of the schedule release.
There’s not much we know about the Dallas Cowboys schedule yet.
Earlier in the year, it was announced they will head to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, only now we know who their opponent will be. And perhaps most importantly, we have confirmation on when.
Cowboys’ Rio opponent revealed
The Cowboys will “host” the Baltimore Ravens in Rio, according to Giana Han from The Baltimore Banner.
Additionally, she reported the game will take place in Week 3, which matches a previous report from the Sports Business Journal. According to the latter, it will be a Sunday afternoon game despite previous Brazil games taking place on Friday night.
The NFL game will be the first ever played in Rio de Janeiro and the first of three in the short-term future as the league continues its efforts for international growth. For the Cowboys, it will be the first international game since they played in London back in 2014.
Ravens will be a good measuring stick for Dallas
While we don’t know what the rest of the schedule looks like, getting an early-season matchup against the Ravens should be a good measuring stick. While it’s true Baltimore struggled in 2025, it was mostly due to a historically banged-up defense.
With Lamar Jackson at the wheel, expect the Ravens to be a tough matchup. Specifically, a big storyline to follow will be the Cowboys’ Christian Parker-led defense against a two-time MVP quarterback.
After putting together the worst defensive year in franchise history, the Cowboys won’t have it any easy. If they want to prove they’re a different team, this will be a great chance to do so.
The game will also match two relatively inexperienced head coaches, as second-year HC Brian Schottenheimer will face first-year head coach Jesse Minter. To make things more dramatic, Schottennheimer calls the Cowboys offense and Minter confirmed in January he will call the Ravens defense.
Week 3 implications
The Week 3 and Sunday window is significant, as it opens the door for the Cowboys to play the NFL Kickoff on Wednesday in Week 1 as the Seattle Seahawks’ opponents. Before, Brazil games were held in Week 1.
While it’s unlikely they do so because they opened last season against the then-Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, it’s no secret the NFL views Dallas as a big draw. Considering the game will be on a Wednesday, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the league leans on Dallas’ draw.
The Cowboys are the only NFL team with three appearances as the away team in the league’s Kickoff game since 2002.
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