The Detroit Lions are going global.
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit Lions have been informed that they will play an international game in the 2026 NFL season. At this point,
it’s unclear where the Lions will play, but the NFL has already announced that there will be international games played next year in Berlin, Germany, Melbourne, Australia, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, and a couple of games in London, England—with more locations expected to be announced at a later date.
It’s worth noting the Lions have international marketing rights in Canada, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown also speaks German, which could make him an extra appeal for the Berlin crowd.
The last time the Lions played an international game was in 2015, when they were blown out by the Kansas City Chiefs in London.
With the Lions—and all NFC teams—scheduled to have nine home games next season, there’s a good chance one of those will now be as the host team in an international contest. Detroit’s 2026 opponents have yet to be fully determined, but here are the opponents we know of so far:
Lions 2026 home opponents;
- Bears
- Packers
- Vikings
- Saints
- Buccaneers
- Patroits
- Jets
- NFC East team
- AFC South team
Lions 2026 away opponents:
- Bears
- Packers
- Vikings
- Falcons
- Bills
- Panthers
- Dolphins
- NFC West
It’s unclear when we’ll get more information about the Lions’ international games, but last year the full slate was announced in March—well before the full schedule release in May.
For now, better update your passports.
