Green Bay won’t have any international games this upcoming season, as the Pittsburgh Steelers will face the New Orleans Saints in Paris instead.
The Green Bay Packers
have already played two international games over the past few seasons, losing to the New York Giants
in London in 2022 and to the Philadelphia Eagles
in São Paulo two years ago. Well, that won’t be a problem in 2026.
The NFL announced the full slate of international games on Wednesday, ahead of the schedule release
on Thursday, and the Packers won’t play outside of the United States.
The Packers could have played international games against the Detroit Lions
in Munich, Germany, or against the New Orleans Saints in Paris
, France.
First, though, the Lions blocked a Packers game in Munich. Designated home teams in international games can make requests for the NFL to avoid two opponents for those matchups, and the Lions chose the Packers and Minnesota Vikings
.
Until the last minute, there was still a scenario for Green Bay to play overseas in 2026. The Packers will have an away game against the Saints, and they will host the first regular season game ever in Paris. However, the league will send the Pittsburgh Steelers to Europe instead.
It’s cool for international fans to have the experience to watch their teams live in the stadium, and that’s somewhat sad for non-American Packers fans. At the same time, there’s no way around that: It’s a relief for the Packers as a team to avoid these games.
The logistics, huge trips, and time difference make it really hard for teams to recover from games in Europe
- even if there’s a bye week after the international game.
This year, NFC teams have an extra home game following the league’s rotation since adopting the 17-game schedule. Because the Packers don’t have any international games, they will actually play nine games at Lambeau Field and eight games on the road.
