Winners and losers from NFL international schedule: Jags, 49ers among the suffering

The most substantial puzzle piece yet of the NFL's 2026 regular-season schedule fell into place Wednesday, May 13, when the league revealed the full details of this year's landmark international schedule - a record-setting nine games set to be played outside the borders of the United States.

The NFL's latest batch of exports - tariff-free so far as we know - is a small, but growing, slice of a 272-piece pie, yet one worth a bit of further examination one day ahead of the complete reveal of the entire 2026 docket.

As such, let's parse a few winners and losers from the upcoming international slate.

WINNERSNFL's international footprint

The league's quest for world domination continues - to the point that international matchups are an increasingly commonplace aspect of the schedule. This year, the NFL will stage games in four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums outside of America.

The 2026 NFL season will feature our most expansive and ambitious international slate yet, with regular-season games spanning Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, London, Paris, Madrid, Munich and Mexico City," Peter O'Reilly, the league's executive vice president of club business, major events and international, said in a statement.

This year's record-breaking schedule will see a host of world-class NFL franchises and star athletes play in some of the most iconic sporting venues in the world, underlying the league's global growth vision and bringing our fans internationally closer to the game than ever before."

It doesn't seem like we're very far from all 32 teams playing internationally once per season - which would mean one game abroad almost weekly as the league tries to further slake the foreign appetite for its most valuable inventory while also (likely) staving off any urge to expand outside the U.S. ... and the logistical nightmare that would entail. For now.

More: How many NFL international games are there in 2026? Here's the list

Rio de Janeiro

Not only will the city make its NFL debut - Sao Paulo hosted a game each of the past two seasons - it will also enjoy a juicy matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys. Interestingly, the league slotted this showdown on Sunday, September 27 (Week 3) at 4:25 p.m. ET, a customary kickoff time for America's Team." And while the contest wasn't provided the exclusive broadcast slot the league so often crafts for international showcases, Sunday's late-afternoon offerings also draw the most viewership eyeballs in a given week. Combine that with Dallas' following, and the Rio board of tourism should enjoy quite a football bonanza at Maracana Stadium.

Paris

Another NFL newbie as it applies to regular-season exposure, the City of Light will welcome the Steelers and Saints, the designated home team. They will play at Stade de France, the country's national stadium located just outside Paris in Saint-Denis. It's also France's largest sporting venue and can accommodate nearly 80,000 spectators. (But little doubt the Saints head to Notre-Dame Cathedral and send up a few prayers beforehand, right?)

Mexico City

One of the league's most raucous and passionate outposts, it hasn't hosted a game since 2022. But it will be a big year south of the border, the 49ers - a beloved team in Mexico and one that's proven to bring a large faction of its fans - set to host the Vikings at famed EstadioBanorte, which will also be the site of World Cup matches this year.

Minnesota Vikings

While it might be some odd - maybe unfair - on the surface for a team to be playing its fourth game abroad over a three-season span with the Vikes ticketed for the Mexico City game, you can be assured it's by design to some degree. As they were in Dublin and London last year, the Vikings will again be the designated road team - meaning an opportunity to continue spreading their brand and spotlighting a superstar like WR Justin Jefferson, who loves the international platform, while basically playing a home" opponent on what should effectively be a neutral field ... though that probably won't be the case in reality against the Niners in this instance.

Australia

The league announced that the Rams would be playing Down Under more than a year ago, during the lead-up to Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans. But the game, which will also feature the NFC West rival 49ers in Melbourne in Week 1, marks a significant shift in the league's overseas expansion. A willingness to stage a game that counts in Australia is a strong indicator that locales like Japan, Korea, maybe even China - depending on American relations with the burgeoning superpower - and elsewhere in Asia will likely be in play soon enough despite the operational challenges.

LOSERSLos Angeles Rams

They're making a loooong trip off the jump - at least they can account it for it as preseason and training camp wind down - and losing a home game in the process to play what's a morning game locally (10:35 a.m. kickoff, 8:35 p.m. ET) at the famed Melbourne Cricket Ground. The mini-bye the Rams get on the back end will still entail some level of reacclimating quickly to West Coast time while they also begin game-planning for their Week 2 opponent.

San Francisco 49ers

They're making a loooong trip off the jump - at least they can account it for it as preseason and training camp wind down - and losing a home game" in the process to play what's a morning game locally (10:35 a.m. kickoff, 8:35 p.m. ET) at the famed Melbourne Cricket Ground. (If you've ever been to a Rams-49ers game at SoFi Stadium, which is typically awash in red, then you know that's usually a quick road trip the Niners embrace. Coach Kyle Shanahan has already expressed frustration regarding the game, and his - joking? - request that the Rams face his team in Mexico in the name of fairness wasn't heeded.) The mini-bye the 49ers get on the back end will still entail some level of reacclimating quickly to West Coast time while they also begin game-planning for their Week 2 opponent. And while Mexico will be more palatable, two international obligations in one season remains a substantial lift.

Colts, Commanders, Falcons, Steelers

All are being dispatched to Europe for the second straight season - good, bad or indifferent.

Jacksonville

The River City is accustomed to loaning the Jaguars to London. But this year, the defending AFC South champions will play two home games in the United Kingdom - meaning Jacksonville will only get six games and with EverBank Stadium at limited capacity amid ongoing renovations that will also decamp the Jags to Orlando for the entirety of the 2027 campaign before an expected return in 2028. Suboptimal for the locals.

All NFL news on and off the field.Sign upfor USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 NFL schedule: Winners (Vikings) and losers (49ers) from international games