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The NFL has officially confirmed its return to Mexico City in 2026.
Commissioner Roger Goodell announced earlier this month that the next regular-season game will take place at the newly renovated Estadio Azteca once it reopens ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Renovations to modernize the 58-year-old stadium forced the NFL to pause games in Mexico since 2023, but the league has maintained an active partnership with Mexican broadcasters and sponsors to engage its massive fanbase—the largest outside the United States.
The exact 2026 matchup and date have not yet been revealed, it is widely expected to feature a high-profile franchise such as the San Francisco 49ers, who have an established fan following in Mexico.
The decision has excited the estimated 40 million Mexican fans, the largest NFL following outside the United States. The Azteca stadium —renamed Estadio Banorte—is undergoing major modernization to meet FIFA standards for the 2026 World Cup’s opening match, forcing the NFL’s international series to concentrate instead on games in Brazil, Germany, Spain, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. League officials emphasized that Mexico remains an essential part of their international strategy, highlighting that talks with city authorities are ongoing to ensure a spectacular NFL return in 2026, when the stadium reopens to host both world-class football and gridiron fans alike
The National Football League’s journey in Mexico City began in 1994, when more than 112,000 fans packed Estadio Azteca to watch the Houston Oilers edge the Dallas Cowboys, 6–0—a preseason record that still stands as the largest crowd at any NFL game. Just over a decade later, on October 2, 2005, Mexico made history as host of the first regular-season NFL game played outside the United States, where the Arizona Cardinals defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 31–14, before 103,467 roaring fans waving red, white, and green flags.
Since then, the NFL’s relationship with Mexico has deepened, turning each visit into a spectacle unmatched by any other international venue. The Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and San Francisco 49ers have all competed at Estadio Azteca, often before capacity crowds exceeding 90,000. The games have evolved into celebrations of shared culture—where mariachi bands share the spotlight with halftime shows and fans chant in both English and Spanish.
The 2026 return of the league’s games to Mexico City reaffirms what Commissioner Roger Goodell called “one of the most passionate and knowledgeable fan bases in the world,” ensuring that the sound of American football under the Azteca lights remains as iconic as the beating heart of the city that hosts it.
