Seattle to host 2026 NFL opener as league expands globally 26-Mar 06:12

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.