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NFL to Host Cowboys-Ravens Game in BrazilNFL to Host Cowboys-Ravens Game in Brazil

4/25/2026

Summary

Brazil Hosts NFL

Brazil will host its first NFL regular-season game at Rio’s Maracanã Stadium on Sept 27, 2026, featuring the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens.
CBS and Paramount+ will televise the Week 3 matchup at 4:25 p.m. ET.
NFL Brazil General Manager Luis Martinez said the game marks a milestone for the sport’s worldwide growth.
Dallas drafted safety Caleb Downs (No. 11) and pass rusher Malachi Lawrence (No. 23) after allowing a league-worst 30.1 points per game in 2025.

Summary

NFL Expands Rio

NFL pledged to hold at least three regular-season games in Rio de Janeiro within the next five years.
The Rio games join a record nine international games scheduled for the 2026 season across four continents.
Brazil’s 36 million NFL fans make the country the league’s largest South American market.
Owners Steve Bisciotti and Jerry Jones cited the passionate, growing fan base as the driver of the league’s expansion.

Summary

CBS Secures Rio

CBS secured broadcast rights for the September 27 NFL game in Rio and will stream it live on Paramount+.
Rich Eisen announced the Rio matchup on NFL Network, mispronouncing “Maracanã Stadium” and mimicking Tony Romo.
This third NFL game in Brazil streamed on YouTube during the 2025 Chiefs-Chargers clash and drew 17.3 million global viewers.

History

Historical Context

In 2007 the NFL held its first International Series game at London’s Wembley, where the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins before 85,000 fans and Commissioner Roger Goodell pledged more overseas contests. That step follows earlier cross-border tests—like the 1959 Chicago Cardinals-Argonauts exhibition—and now drives Brazil plans by NFL Brazil GM Luis Martinez and owners Steve Bisciotti and Jerry Jones targeting Rio’s 36 million-person market.

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Brazil Hosts NFL

Brazil will host its first NFL regular-season game at Rio’s Maracanã Stadium on Sept 27, 2026, featuring the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens.
CBS and Paramount+ will televise the Week 3 matchup at 4:25 p.m. ET.
NFL Brazil General Manager Luis Martinez said the game marks a milestone for the sport’s worldwide growth.
Dallas drafted safety Caleb Downs (No. 11) and pass rusher Malachi Lawrence (No. 23) after allowing a league-worst 30.1 points per game in 2025.

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