49ers get second international game in 2026, will play in Mexico City against Rams
It’s only February, but the San Francisco 49ers are set to be one of the NFL’s most traveled teams in 2026.
That’s because the league announced Wednesday morning that the 49ers would host a game next fall in Mexico City, weeks after the team after was slated to travel to Australia for a road matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Mexico City game will be played at Estadio Banorte, the renovated stadium better known as Estadio Azteca. The 49ers have played there twice previously against the Arizona Cardinals in 2005 and 2022. The stadium is being renovated to host games during the upcoming World Cup this summer.
The announcement means the 49ers will play in two of the record nine international games set for next season. They are one of 10 teams that hold marketing rights in Mexico as part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program, which is aimed at expanding the league’s international footprint.
“We are thrilled to return to Mexico and to play in front of one of the most passionate fan bases in the league,” said recently-promoted 49ers CEO Al Guido said in a statement. “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.”
With the 49ers set to be the home team, their possible opponents for the game are the Cardinals, defending champion Seattle Seahawks, Rams, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings.
It’s likely the tradeoff for traveling abroad twice in 2026 relates to the 49ers not wanting to be part of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” documentary series, which Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have publicly said they did not want filmed during training camp. The 49ers have also been one of the few teams that has not traveled for a game in Europe since 2013.
By replacing a road game against the nearby L.A. Rams with the roughly 17-hour flight to Melbourne, Australia, and now a home game with a four-plus hour flight to Mexico City, the 49ers will be one of the most well-traveled teams in recent memory.
Their road opponents include East Coast teams such as the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, though they have worked with the NFL in the past to schedule consecutive games on the other side of the country, allowing them to stay on the East Coast between games to save travel time. The team has stayed at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia and practiced at IMG Academy in Florida since 2019.
The 49ers’ full schedule is expected to be announced later this spring when the NFL releases the complete slate.
