March 25 (Reuters) – The 2026 NFL regular season will kick off on Wednesday, September 9 in Seattle, a departure from the customary Thursday night opener, the league said on Wednesday.
Following that, the San Francisco 49ers will face the Los Angeles Rams in the first-ever regular-season game in Melbourne, Australia, with kickoff set at 8:35 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 10 (Friday, 10:35 a.m. local time).
The defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks will host the season opener, with their Week 1 opponent to be announced when the full schedule is released later this spring.
The 2026 season will feature a record nine international games across four continents, expanding the league’s global footprint. New markets include Melbourne, Paris and Rio de Janeiro, which join returning international host cities London, Madrid, Mexico City and Munich.
Notably, games will be held at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro and the Stade de France in Paris for the first time.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico CityEditing by Toby Davis)
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