NFL to release full 2026 schedule

The NFL will release its full 2026 regular-season schedule at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 14, with coverage on NFL.com, NFL Network, ESPN, the ESPN App and NFL+, league releases said. The announcement caps a week of staggered disclosures that already established several standalone windows, holiday games and the league’s international slate. Nine international games are already official before the full 272-game schedule is posted. The league said on May 13 that the 2026 season will include games across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums, with first-time regular-season stops in Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Paris. Third-party leak trackers and betting sites have also published partial pairings and opening lines ahead of the official release. (operations.nfl.com) Those reports are not the league’s final schedule, but they have filled in some dates, windows and point spreads before Thursday night’s rollout. ### When does the full schedule go live, and where will it appear? Thursday, May 14, at 8 p.m. ET is the league’s official release time for the full 2026 schedule. (media.nfl.com) NFL Football Operations and NFL.com both say every game, date and primetime assignment will be revealed then. NFL.com said fans can watch the release coverage on NFL Network, ESPN and the ESPN App, and the full schedule page will carry the complete regular-season slate. (sportsbookreview.com) The league has also tied ticket sales to the release window, with single-game tickets going on sale as games are revealed. ### Which games are already official before Thursday night? The NFL has already confirmed the nine international games for 2026. (operations.nfl.com) The opener abroad is San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne on Sept. 10, followed by Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro on Sept. 27. London will host three straight Sundays: Indianapolis Colts vs. (nfl.com) Washington Commanders on Oct. 4, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 11, and Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 18. Paris then gets Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New Orleans Saints on Oct. 25, Madrid gets Cincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 8, and Munich will host New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions on Nov. 15. Mexico City is also on the 2026 international slate, though the short excerpts surfaced in search results did not show that matchup in full. (media.nfl.com) Several domestic showcase games are also already public. NFL Football Operations lists Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants for Week 1 Sunday Night Football, Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs for the Week 1 Monday Night Football opener, Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills for the Week 2 Thursday Night Football opener, Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams on Thanksgiving Eve, and Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas on Thanksgiving Day. (media.nfl.com) ### What is the Saints-Steelers game in Paris, exactly? Paris will host its first NFL regular-season game on Sunday, Oct. 25, at Stade de France. The matchup is Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New Orleans Saints, according to the NFL’s international-games release. NFL.com lists that game in the Week 7 international window with a 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff. (operations.nfl.com) The Paris date had circulated in leak reports before the league’s official confirmation, but the matchup is now part of the NFL’s published international schedule. ### Why are betting lines showing up before the schedule is official? Sportsbook Review published a running tracker with opening odds attached to several leaked or confirmed games before the full release. (media.nfl.com) Its list included Steelers vs. Saints in Paris with Pittsburgh favored by 1.5 points, along with spreads for other international and Week 1 matchups. CBS Sports also published a live leak tracker and said more games typically emerge before the league’s formal 8 p.m. (nfl.com) ET announcement. Those reports reflect bookmaker postings and media leaks, not the NFL’s final master release, and can change until the league posts the complete schedule. ### What should readers watch for at 8 p.m. ET? The 8 p.m. ET release will settle the full week-by-week order, kickoff times, primetime inventory and the remaining unannounced international details, including the Mexico City matchup. (sportsbookreview.com) NFL Football Operations said broadcast partners have been disclosing selected games throughout the week, with the full schedule to follow Thursday night. (cbssports.com) NFL.com’s schedule-release page says the complete slate will be posted there Thursday night, and league coverage will run across NFL Network, ESPN and the ESPN App. Betting outlets and team sites are expected to update quickly after that with spreads, printable schedules and ticket links tied to the newly posted games. (nfl.com) (operations.nfl.com)