The NFL on Thursday confirmed that San Francisco will “host” a game in Mexico City this season, the third time the five-time Super Bowl champions will play at Banorte Stadium, better known as Estadio Azteca.
The Red and Gold will face the Minnesota Vikings in a Week 11 Sunday Night Football clash, with kick-off scheduled for 7:20 p.m. local time on Nov. 22.
“We are thrilled to welcome the San Francisco 49ers back to Mexico City for the 2026 NFL game in Mexico,” NFL México General Manager Arturo Olive said. “We look forward to [the NFL] returning to a country that plays such an important role in the growth of our sport … and reaffirming our deep and long‑standing connection with fans across [Mexico].”
League officials said Mexico is home to the NFL’s largest fanbase outside the United States and the upcoming game is part of the league’s new three-year commitment to host regular season games in Mexico.
The Niners took part in the first-ever regular-season NFL game played outside of the United States on Oct. 5, 2005 (losing 31-14 to the Arizona Cardinals), then defeated the Cards 38-10 on Nov. 21, 2022. Both games were played in Estadio Azteca.
This will be the sixth regular-season NFL game played at Mexico City’s historic stadium which will play host to the inaugural World Cup match on June 11, but the first NFL contest since the 49ers’ victory four years ago.
Estadio Azteca has recently begun hosting sporting events again after a nearly two-year restoration project ahead of the World Cup during which “The Colossus of Santa Úrsula” will host five matches.
Since the 2022 game in Mexico, the NFL has visited the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Ireland and Spain, as it has aggressively expanded its international footprint. This year, the league will play its first regular season games in Australia and France, while staging nine games across seven countries on four continents during the 2026 season.
The return of the 49ers — one of the most popular teams among Mexico football fans along with the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs — is not unexpected. The NFL had announced in February that The Gold Rush would be playing a home game in Mexico.
