ExtremeRavens Posted 20 hours ago Posted 20 hours ago Could the Ravens be headed to Rio de Janeiro later this year? The NFL announced Thursday that the Dallas Cowboys will play the league’s first regular-season game in the former capital city of Brazil in 2026. It marks the third straight year that the NFL will play in the country after games in Sao Paulo each of the past two seasons. It will be the Cowboys’ first international game as the home team and first international game overall since 2014, when they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London. Baltimore is also one of the teams on Dallas’ home schedule for next season, setting up the possibility for the Ravens’ first game in South America in the franchise’s 31-year history. The other teams the Cowboys are scheduled to play at home include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers. But with the 49ers slated to play the Los Angeles Rams in Australia in 2026, they would not be in consideration for Brazil. Dallas will also play its three NFC East rivals, the Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants, at home, though it’s rare for the NFL to pit divisional opponents as part of its International Series, with the 49ers and Rams an exception. The Eagles also just played in Brazil to open the 2024 season. Of the remaining opponents, the Ravens would be the most appealing given the significant popularity of quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson in Brazil and the matchup being a compelling opening weekend showdown. Though no date for the game has been announced, each of the league’s past two games in South America took place on the Friday of Week 1. If history holds, that would mean a Sept. 11 contest at Maracana Stadium, a historic 70,000-seat venue that was the site of the 1950 and 2014 World Cup finals in soccer as well as the opening ceremony for the 2016 Olympics. “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,” NFL Brazil General Manager Luis Martinez said in a statement. “Bringing a regular-season game to Rio strengthens our connection to a vibrant and passionate football community and underscores our long-term commitment to the market.” Aside from the Cowboys, the Ravens, who will only play eight home games at recently renovated M&T Bank Stadium, are also slated to play a road game against the Atlanta Falcons, another team that has been designated to host an international game, though a location has yet to be announced. The Ravens have played just two international games previously, both in London. They lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars, 44-7, at Wembley Stadium in 2017 and beat the Tennessee Titans, 24-16, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2023. “Lamar and the growth internationally is something that we embrace fully,” Ravens president Sashi Brown said during last spring’s league meeting when asked about the potential for Baltimore to play more international games. The Cowboys, meanwhile, are no strangers to playing abroad, though most have taken place in the preseason with jaunts to Tokyo, Toronto, Mexico City and Monterrey, Mexico. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones previously previously said that his preference was to play a regular-season game in Mexico City in 2026. Dallas was also a possibility to play the Rams in Melbourne, but Los Angeles protected that game for SoFi Stadium. There will be a record total nine international games in 2026. Other locales include Paris, Munich, Madrid and London, which will host three games. The NFL’s full schedule will be announced in May. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article Quote
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