NFL Games 2026 – Complete Guide
Welcome to the NFL Games 2026 guide — your place to find everything you need to know about the new NFL season, from the opening kickoff to the Super Bowl.
The 2026 NFL season brings another full year of football, featuring all 32 teams, 18 weeks of regular-season action, international games, primetime matchups, playoffs and, ultimately, the race for Super Bowl LXI.
🏈 When Does the 2026 NFL Season Start?
The 2026 NFL regular season begins on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
The opening game features the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks hosting the New England Patriots at Lumen Field in Seattle. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET. The game will be available on NBC, Peacock and NFL+ on supported mobile platforms.
The unusual Wednesday kickoff is followed by another major game on Thursday, September 10.
🌎 Where Is the 2026 NFL Season Being Played?
NFL games are played across the United States throughout the regular season, with teams competing in their home stadiums and traveling to opponents’ stadiums.
But the NFL is also taking the game around the world in 2026.
The international schedule includes regular-season games in:
- 🇦🇺 Melbourne, Australia
- 🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- 🇬🇧 London, England
- 🇩🇪 Munich, Germany
- 🇪🇸 Madrid, Spain
- 🇫🇷 Paris, France
- 🇲🇽 Mexico City, Mexico
The NFL has scheduled nine international regular-season games in 2026.
🇦🇺 NFL in Australia
One of the biggest international events of the season takes place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 10.
The San Francisco 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams, with kickoff scheduled for 8:35 p.m. ET. The game will be shown on Netflix and NFL+.
📅 How Long Is the NFL Season?
The NFL regular season runs for 18 weeks.
Each of the league’s 32 teams plays 17 regular-season games and receives one bye week. That produces 272 regular-season games across the league.
The 2026 regular season concludes with Week 18 on January 9–10, 2027.
After that, the best teams move into the NFL playoffs.
🏆 When Are the 2026 NFL Playoffs?
The 2026-27 postseason schedule is:
Wild Card Weekend
January 16–18, 2027
Divisional Round
January 23–24, 2027
AFC & NFC Championship Games
January 31, 2027
Super Bowl LXI
February 14, 2027
Super Bowl LXI will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
📺 How Can You Watch NFL Games in 2026?
NFL games are distributed across several television networks and streaming services.
Depending on the game and your location, NFL fans may find games on:
- NBC
- CBS
- FOX
- ESPN
- ABC
- NFL Network
- Netflix
- Prime Video
- Peacock
- Paramount+
- NFL+
- Other authorized streaming platforms
The NFL’s official Ways to Watch guide lets fans personalize viewing information based on their location and available services.
📱 NFL+ Streaming
NFL+ is one of the NFL’s official Live streaming options.
NFL+ provides access to live local and primetime regular-season games on supported mobile devices. NFL+ Premium also includes NFL RedZone, NFL Network, game replays and additional content.
🏈 NFL RedZone
For fans who want to follow multiple Sunday games, NFL RedZone is another popular option. It focuses on live scoring opportunities and action from around the league.
Availability depends on your subscription and market.
⏰ What Time Do NFL Games Start?
NFL games are played at different times throughout the week.
Typical kickoff windows include:
Thursday Night Football
Around 8:15 p.m. ET
Sunday afternoon
Usually 1:00 p.m. ET and 4:05/4:25 p.m. ET
Sunday Night Football
Usually 8:20 p.m. ET
Monday Night Football
Usually 8:15 p.m. ET
International games can have very different kickoff times because they are scheduled for local audiences as well as U.S. viewers.
📊 NFL Standings
Throughout the season, fans will be watching the AFC and NFC standings closely.
The NFL has 32 teams, divided into two conferences:
AFC
- East
- North
- South
- West
NFC
- East
- North
- South
- West
Each division contains four teams.
Your website should show:
Team | W | L | T | Win % | PF | PA | Division Rank | Playoff Position
Update the standings after every game.
🏆 The Road to Super Bowl LXI
The entire 2026 season eventually leads to one game.
32 teams.
17 games per team.
18 weeks.
Playoffs.
One Super Bowl champion.
Super Bowl LXI will take place on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The question every NFL fan will be asking throughout the season is simple:
Who will be the next team to lift the Lombardi Trophy?
🏈 NFL Games 2026 — Your Fan Guide
Whether you’re looking for the next game, today’s NFL scores, the complete schedule, streaming information, standings, team news, predictions or the latest playoff picture, NFL Games 2026 is designed to bring all of the important information together in one place.
Football is back.
The road to Super Bowl LXI starts here.