The NFL is set to continue its global expansion after agreeing a multi-year commitment to play in Rio de Janeiro from 2026.

It will be the third regular-season game to be played in Brazil after Sao Paulo hosted a week one match both this season and last.

The NFL has now committed to playing a minimum of three regular-season games over five years at the Maracana Stadium in Rio.

The league estimates it has more than 36 million fans in Brazil, the largest country in South America.

“Brazil is now the second-largest consumer of American football outside the United States, and thousands of tourists and sports fans have dreamed of experiencing this event at the world’s most famous stadium,” said Claudio Castro, governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro.

The NFL has already announced it will stage its first game in Australia during the 2026 season – as part of a multi-year commitment to play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground – and has a long-standing agreement to have multiple games in London each year.

There will be a record seven international games this season, with Dublin hosting its first regular-season game this Sunday, before Berlin and Madrid follow suit in November.