NFL owners approve up to 10 international games

NFL owners approved a resolution on May 19 allowing the league to schedule up to 10 international regular-season games in seasons after 2026, the NFL said Tuesday. The vote came as the league prepares for a record nine international games in 2026 across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums. The measure also removed a prior team protection that let clubs shield two home games from being moved abroad. ### What exactly did owners approve in Orlando? The NFL said Tuesday that owners approved an increase to 10 international games beyond the upcoming 2026 season. The resolution applies after 2026, not to the schedule already set for this year. NFL reporting on the owners’ vote said the resolution also removed teams’ ability to protect two home games from international assignment. (nfl.com) That change gives the league more flexibility in building future overseas schedules. ### Why isn’t the new cap showing up immediately in 2026? The 2026 season will still feature nine international games, which is already the highest single-season total the league has announced. (nfl.com) NFL Football Operations said that slate will be played across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums. The NFL unveiled those 2026 matchups on May 13 and released the full regular-season schedule on May 14. (nfl.com) The nine-game total is one short of the new post-2026 ceiling approved by owners this week. ### Where will the 2026 international games be played? Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, London, Paris, Madrid, Munich and Mexico City are on the 2026 international calendar, according to NFL Football Operations. (operations.nfl.com) London will host three consecutive games, with two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and one at Wembley Stadium. The league said 2026 will include first regular-season games in Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Paris. (media.nfl.com) NFL.com described the schedule as the league’s most ambitious international slate to date. ### Why are the Jaguars playing two London games again? Jacksonville is scheduled for back-to-back London games in 2026, the third time the franchise has done that in the U.K., according to NFL announcements in February and May. (operations.nfl.com) The Jaguars are also set to play one game at Wembley Stadium as part of their multi-year U.K. commitment. (media.nfl.com) The Athletic reported that Jacksonville’s back-to-back London arrangement comes while EverBank Stadium undergoes renovations. The NFL’s official 2026 international schedule confirms the Jaguars are part of the expanded overseas slate. ### How far has the league already pushed this strategy? The NFL said 62 regular-season games had been played outside the United States before the 2026 schedule was announced. (media.nfl.com) The league’s international games page says the 2026 season will take the NFL to more countries than ever. The league has paired the schedule expansion with a broader international push through its Global Markets Program, which assigns clubs commercial rights in overseas markets. (operations.nfl.com) NFL Football Operations said that program expanded again in 2026 with the addition of Italy. ### What happens next? The 2026 international schedule is already set, with the opener scheduled for Sept. 10 in Melbourne, where the Los Angeles Rams will face the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (media.nfl.com) Other 2026 games will follow in Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany and Mexico. Any move from nine games to the new ceiling of 10 would come in seasons after 2026 under the resolution owners approved on May 19. (operations.nfl.com) The next test of that policy will come when the league builds its 2027 international schedule. (nfl.com) (operations.nfl.com)