The NFL is going global in a big way for the 2026 season, with a record-setting nine international games on the calendar - and that could very well mean another passport stamp for the Green Bay Packers.
The league announced plans to stage games in some of the world’s most iconic cities: London (three games), Paris, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Munich, Mexico City, and Melbourne. It’s the largest international slate in league history, and with over half the NFL’s teams expected to take part, the odds are strong that Green Bay will be one of them.
Here’s why: the Packers are set to face both the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams in 2026 - two teams already locked in as designated participants for games in Paris and Melbourne, respectively. That puts Green Bay directly in the mix for either of those matchups, depending on how the league wants to structure its international schedule.
Let’s start with the Saints. New Orleans has deep cultural ties to France, and with marketing rights in the country through the NFL’s Global Markets Program, it makes sense they’d be tapped for Paris’ first-ever NFL game.
The Saints are scheduled to host the Packers this season, and that game could easily be shifted to Stade de France - a world-class venue that’s hosted everything from the FIFA World Cup to the Olympics. If the league is looking for a marquee matchup to christen its Paris debut, Packers-Saints certainly fits the bill.
Then there’s the Rams. They’ve been designated for the Melbourne game and hold marketing rights in Australia, along with the Seahawks, Eagles, and Raiders - all of whom appear on L.A.’s 2026 schedule. But the Packers are also set to face the Rams this season, which gives the league another intriguing option for its first-ever game Down Under.
And there’s another wrinkle: because the NFC has the extra home game this year, the Packers could be selected as the “home” team for an international game. That would allow the league to move a Green Bay-hosted matchup abroad - a decision that would mean losing a game at Lambeau Field, but potentially gaining a massive global spotlight. If the Packers don’t get the international nod, they’ll keep that ninth home game, which would be a financial win for the Green Bay area, adding an estimated $20 million to the local economy.
This wouldn’t be Green Bay’s first rodeo overseas. The Packers were the last NFL team to make their international debut, finally doing so in 2022 against the Giants in London.
They followed that up with a trip to São Paulo, Brazil, in 2024 to face the Eagles. They lost both games, but the international exposure - and the experience for the players and fans - was invaluable.
As for where the Packers might play next, their own marketing rights give them a foothold in Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. That’s notable, though it’s still unclear how heavily the league weighs those rights when assigning teams to international games.
Green Bay shares Germany with 10 other teams, Ireland with five, and the U.K. with eight. So while it gives the Packers a presence abroad, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee a game in those markets.
One team the Packers won’t be facing this year? The Jacksonville Jaguars - the NFL’s international veterans and a near-annual presence in London. So scratch that off the list.
In total, 62 regular-season games have been played outside the U.S. - from London and Berlin to São Paulo and Toronto. With the league continuing to expand its global reach, 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark season. Whether it’s Paris, Melbourne, or another city entirely, don’t be surprised if the Packers are once again packing their bags.