Cowboys, Ravens Set to Square Off in NFL’s Inaugural Rio de Janeiro Game

The Baltimore Ravens have been chosen to play the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL’s inaugural game in Rio de Janeiro this season, the league announced Friday night during the draft. The Sept. 27 game will be played at Maracanã 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 Maracanã 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. “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 — Packers-Eagles in 2024 and Chiefs-Chargers in 2025 at São 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 (two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and one at Wembley Stadium), and one each at Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium, Melbourne’s Cricket Ground, Mexico City’s Estadio Banorte, Munich’s FC Bayern Munich Stadium and Paris’ Stade de France. Reporting by The Associated Press.