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The NFL Returns to Brazil for a Third Straight Year, and This Time It's Bringing the Cowboys

Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã Stadium hosts a regular-season NFL game for the first time this September, part of a broader push to grow the sport across South America. Photo: Unsplash

The Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys will meet at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro on September 27, part of a record nine-game NFL International Series slate in 2026.

The league confirmed Rio as a new addition to its international program, following two prior games in São Paulo in 2024 and 2025. Rio de Janeiro state governor Cláudio Castro called Brazil the second-largest consumer of American football outside the United States, and the NFL has said the Rio game is part of a broader effort to deepen ties with fans across South America, not just within Brazil's borders.

The sport has a real, if still developing, grassroots presence in the country beyond television audiences. Brazil has its own American Football Confederation overseeing tackle and flag leagues in cities well outside Rio and São Paulo, and cable coverage of NFL games has been steadily building local interest for more than a decade. A regular-season game on Brazilian soil for a third straight year gives that existing fan base an actual game to build toward, rather than just a broadcast to watch at odd hours.

The Ravens bring their own draw to the matchup. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry remain one of the most recognizable quarterback-running back pairings in the league, even coming off an injury-shortened 2025 season. Brazilian fans who've followed the Ravens through League Pass or highlight packages will get to see that duo in person, which is its own reason to watch a game already notable simply for being held in Rio.

The Team Landing in Rio: Dallas's Two-Headed Passing Attack

For the growing base of fantasy football players following the NFL's expansion into the region, the Cowboys arrive in Rio with one of the more interesting offenses to evaluate. Wide receiver George Pickens, acquired in a trade from Pittsburgh before last season, had a career year with 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, finishing as fantasy's fifth-best receiver in points per reception scoring. Dallas franchised him for $27.3 million this spring rather than let him leave. CeeDee Lamb, meanwhile, dealt with a high ankle sprain that cost him nearly a month, finishing well below his usual output despite still drawing 117 targets.

“Pickens averaged over 20 points a game in the stretch Lamb missed last year, and still put up solid numbers once Lamb came back,” an analyst said. “That tells you Dallas can genuinely support two number one receivers. It just makes pricing either of them on draft day harder than picking a clear favorite.”

Why ADP Data Matters More With Two Alphas in One Offense

Quarterback Dak Prescott bounced back to a QB6 finish last season, and running back Javonte Williams signed a three-year extension after a 1,201-yard, 13-touchdown season locked him in as the clear lead back. The Lamb-Pickens split sits on top of that, and it's exactly the kind of situation this year's fantasy football ADP data is built to track as draft season progresses, since neither receiver's price should be set by last year's per-game average alone. RotoWire, the premium fantasy sports and sports betting data platform, updates those numbers continuously as more information comes in from training camp, which matters more for a genuinely shared passing game like Dallas's than for an offense built around one clear top target.

“Lamb is still the bigger name and the better bet if both are fully healthy all season,” a fan said. “But Pickens proved he can be the guy on his own. Whoever you draft first between them, you're not getting a discount, you're making a real choice.”

Tight end Jake Ferguson rounds out the offense as a later-round option worth knowing, having finished as a top-five fantasy tight end in points per reception scoring despite a quiet finish to the season. In an offense this concentrated among Prescott's top three or four targets, even a modest role for Ferguson tends to translate into usable weekly production.

Brazil has operated a regulated sports betting market since its licensing system took effect in January 2025, and interest in NFL wagering has grown alongside the league's in-country presence. Rules and legal status vary by country across the wider Mercosur region, so anyone interested in following the Rio game with any kind of wager should confirm what's permitted locally before doing so, and treat it as entertainment rather than a financial strategy.