The San Francisco 49ers have officially announced they will play a regular-season game in Mexico City during the 2026 NFL season, continuing the league's international expansion efforts.

News of the 49ers serving as the designated home team for the international matchup was first reported by ESPN's John Sutcliffe on February 11.


The NFL Communications staff and 49ers Communications staff provided the following information.


49ers to be One of the Participating Teams for the Return to Estadio Banorte


MEXICO CITY, MEXICO — The National Football League has announced that the San Francisco 49ers will be one of the participating teams for the upcoming 2026 NFL Mexico City game, presented by Banorte.

The game in Mexico will be one of a record nine international games in 2026 across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums – and will be played at the iconic Estadio Banorte as part of a multi-year commitment to playing games in Mexico City in 2026, 2027 and 2028.

"We're delighted to host the San Francisco 49ers once again in Mexico City for the 2026 NFL Mexico Game," said NFL Director General Arturo Olive. "Returning to Estadio Banorte highlights our strong, ongoing commitment to Mexico. Few places generate the kind of energy we see here, and we look forward to being back in a country that plays such a meaningful role in the growth of our game."

"We are thrilled to return to Mexico and to play in front of one of the most passionate fan bases in the league," said San Francisco 49ers CEO Al Guido. "After two unforgettable experiences in 2005 and 2022 in Mexico City, we're excited to reunite with the Mexico Faithful and look forward to the energy local fans will bring in creating a true home-field advantage for our team abroad."


The 49ers' opponent, along with the game date and kickoff time, will be announced when the full 2026 NFL schedule is revealed this spring.

The 49ers are one of 10 teams that hold marketing rights in Mexico as part of the league's Global Markets Program, an initiative that awards NFL clubs international marketing rights to build brand awareness and fandom beyond the U.S., through fan engagement, events and commercial opportunities.

The return of regular season NFL games in Mexico builds on the league's history of playing five previous games at Estadio Banorte in 2005, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022. With 40 million fans of the NFL – the largest fanbase outside of the U.S. – and with an office in Mexico City since 1998, the league is focused on increasing year-round presence through fan engagement activities, NFL Flag development, community impact initiatives and growing the game at every level.

Flag football, the non-contact format of the game, will make its debut as an Olympic sport in Los Angeles 2028 (LA28). NFL Flag, the league's official youth flag football program, launched in Mexico in 2000 and this year is projected to reach 3.3 million girls and boys nationwide.

Fans can sign up for information on the 2026 NFL Mexico City game here.


Sixty-two regular-season NFL games have been played outside the United States with London, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dublin, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto having hosted games to date.

2026 NFL International Markets: (* designates a new market/city for 2026)


Regular-season games played in Mexico City:

Date Team Score Team Score Stadium Attendance
2005 San Francisco 49ers 14 Arizona Cardinals 31 Estadio Azteca 103,467
2016 Houston Texans 20 Oakland Raiders 27 Estadio Azteca 76,473
2017 New England Patriots 33 Oakland Raiders 8 Estadio Azteca 77,357
2019 Kansas City Chiefs 24 L.A. Chargers 17 Estadio Azteca 76,252
2022 San Francisco 49ers 38 Arizona Cardinals 10 Estadio Azteca 78,427


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