Ja’Marr Chase questions if Cincinnati Bengals will join the international league lineup for 2026 NFL season.
The NFL continues to expand its footprint beyond the United States, accelerating a long-term strategy aimed at global growth. League officials have made international games a core part of the regular-season calendar, and the 2026 season is set to feature one of the most ambitious overseas schedules in league history.
Ahead of Super Bowl LX, the NFL released the first batch of confirmed international games for 2026, spanning multiple continents.
The league announced three regular-season games in London, all scheduled to be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. A game will also be held in Madrid, Spain, at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of soccer club Real Madrid, marking the NFL’s second straight regular-season contest in the stadium. Another matchup is scheduled for Paris, France, at Stade de France, with the New Orleans Saints confirmed as one of the participating teams.
The NFL will also return to Brazil, with the Dallas Cowboys confirmed as one of the participating teams to take center stage in Rio de Janeiro at Maracanã Stadium. This scheduled matchup follows last year’s regular-season opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo. In a historic move, the league also confirmed its first regular-season game in Australia, which will be played at the Melbourne Ground, with the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers set to face off.
In total, nine international venues across six countries have been officially confirmed so far for the 2026 season. Additional matchups, dates, and participating teams will be announced subsequently with the full regular-season schedule expected later this spring.
Ja’Marr Chase Asks If Bengals Will Play Abroad
After the release, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase reacted publicly to the announcement, inquiring if the Bengals will also play abroad next season.
“Bengals playing out the country this year @NFL ?” Chase wrote on X.
At this stage, no overseas game involving the Bengals has been confirmed. League officials have emphasized that several matchups are still being finalized, leaving the door open for additional teams to be included once the complete schedule is released.
The Bengals last played an international game in 2019, when they served as the road team against the Los Angeles Rams in London. The Rams defeated the Bengals 24-10, powered by Jared Goff’s 372-yard, two-touchdown performance and Cooper Kupp’s career-high 220 yards and seven receptions.
That matchup remains Cincinnati’s most recent appearance outside the United States.