The Dallas Cowboys are heading to Rio. The NFL announced that America's Team will take part in the league’s first-ever regular-season game in Brazil, set to take place at the iconic Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro during the 2026 season.
This marks a significant step in the NFL’s global expansion plans. The Rio game is the first of three scheduled to be played in Brazil over a five-year span. While the date, time, and opponent haven’t been revealed yet, we do know this will be the Cowboys’ first international appearance since their win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London more than a decade ago.
For the league, this is more than just a one-off event. It’s part of a record-setting international slate for 2026, with nine games set to be played across seven countries on four continents.
The NFL has already dipped its toes into the Brazilian market with preseason and promotional events in São Paulo in 2024 and 2025, which drew strong fan turnout and enthusiasm. Now, they’re going all-in with a regular-season game in one of the most storied sports venues in the world.
“Introducing one of the league’s most iconic teams to the Maracanã Stadium marks a powerful milestone in the continued growth of the sport worldwide,” said Luis Martinez, general manager of NFL Brazil. And he’s not wrong - this is a big deal.
Maracanã isn’t just any stadium. It’s hallowed ground in the world of soccer, home to Brazilian giants Flamengo and Fluminense, and a centerpiece of Brazil’s rich footballing history.
Now, it’s about to host a different kind of football.
Rio’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, called it a “historic event,” and noted that the game will be officially included on the city’s event calendar. That’s no small gesture in a country where soccer is religion and stadiums like Maracanã are sacred.
With a seating capacity of nearly 79,000, the stadium will offer a familiar environment for the Cowboys, who are used to packing in massive crowds at AT&T Stadium, which holds about 80,000. But getting the Cowboys to agree to play a game overseas wasn’t exactly easy.
Owner and GM Jerry Jones has long been hesitant to give up a home game - and the revenue that comes with it. As recently as December, Jones said he was “very reluctant” to take the Cowboys international, citing the franchise’s league-leading attendance numbers and the financial upside of staying put in Arlington.
“We’ve got a lot of fans. It might fit for a lot of clubs.
It doesn’t fit for the Cowboys as much,” Jones said at the time. His preference?
Mexico City, given the massive Cowboys fanbase south of the border. But with the NFL’s international strategy expanding rapidly, the Cowboys are now part of a global push that’s gaining serious momentum.
As for who Dallas will face in Rio, the opponent hasn’t been named yet, but all signs point to a non-divisional road matchup. That narrows the field to teams like the Buccaneers, Cardinals, 49ers, Ravens, Titans, or Jaguars - all viable candidates based on the Cowboys’ 2026 schedule rotation.
On the field, the Cowboys are a bit of a paradox heading into 2026. Offensively, they’re expected to be one of the league’s most explosive units once again - a high-flying attack that could put on a show for Brazilian fans seeing NFL action live for the first time.
But defensively, there’s work to be done. Dallas struggled mightily on that side of the ball this past season and will need a serious overhaul if they want to be contenders, not just entertainers, when they take the field in Rio.
Still, when the Cowboys land in Brazil, they’ll bring more than just star power - they’ll bring the full NFL experience to a new audience, in a venue that’s seen its share of legends. And if the league’s bet on Brazil pays off the way it has in London, Munich, and Mexico City, this could be just the beginning of something big.