{"id":845061,"date":"2026-03-31T15:08:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:08:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/845061\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T15:08:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:08:27","slug":"dolphins-may-be-headed-to-mexico-and-other-international-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/845061\/","title":{"rendered":"Dolphins May Be Headed to Mexico And Other International Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Miami Dolphins reportedly will have another international game in 2026.<\/p>\n

The Dolphins will be facing the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico City next season, this according to Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area who added the game could be scheduled for Nov. 22.<\/p>\n

The NFL recently announced the nine teams that will host international games in 2026 and the 49ers were the only one the Dolphins were scheduled to face on the road. The only other team even on the Miami schedule was Detroit, but the Lions are slated to come to Hard Rock Stadium.<\/p>\n

The 49ers’ other home opponents for 2026 include, besides NFC West opponents Seattle, Los Angeles and Arizona, the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.<\/p>\n

It’s important to note here that the NFL teams that hold marketing rights in Mexico currently are Arizona, the Dallas Cowboys, Denver, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, the 49ers and the Dolphins.<\/p>\n

The 49ers already are scheduled to face the Rams, as the road team, in Australia next season, so it would be a little strange for the NFL to give them a second division game outside of the United States.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, the NFL announced that its Global Markets program would be extended to now include Italy, with the New Orleans and Cleveland Browns awarded marketing rights in that country.<\/p>\n

The Dolphins have marketing rights in six countries, and they’re the only team with those rights in Argentina and Colombia, something to keep in mind if the NFL ever decides to play a game in either country. The other four countries were the Dolphins have marketing rights are Brazil, Mexico, Spain and the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

THE SCHEDULING QUIRK<\/p>\n

The Dolphins will be facing the 49ers in 2026 as their “17th game,” the same way they did back in 2022 at Levi’s Stadium.<\/p>\n

One could argue this represents a flaw in the scheduling system because as long as the schedule remains at 17 games and the formula doesn’t change, the Dolphins always will be the road against that NFC West opponent every four years, just like they’re always the road team against their NFC North opponent as the 17th game, like they were at Green Bay on Thanksgiving night 2024.<\/p>\n

Conversely, the Dolphins get to play the “17th game” at home against the NFC East (New York Giants in 2021, Washington in 2025) and against the NFC South (Carolina in 2023).<\/p>\n

And it just so happens that the two best divisions in the NFC right now \u2014\u00a0by far \u2014\u00a0are the North and West.<\/p>\n

So bad luck for the Dolphins there.<\/p>\n

Miami, incidentally, will play its “17th game” at home in 2027 against the NFC South team that finishes in the same place in the standings next season.<\/p>\n

With the push by the NFL to go to 18 regular season games, who knows how long that “17th game” will last or what the scheduling format will look like in future years.<\/p>\n

THE DOLPHINS’ INTERNATIONAL HISTORY<\/p>\n

The Dolphins’ 16-13 overtime victory in Madrid, Spain, last season was their seventh international game, but playing in Mexico City would be a first.<\/p>\n

The Dolphins have played five times in London (2007 against the New York Giants, 2014 against the Oakland Raiders, 2015 against the New York Jets, 2017 against the New Orleans Saints, 2021 against the Jacksonville Jaguars), and once in Germany (2023 against the Kansas City Chiefs).<\/p>\n

Miami has played a preseason game in Mexico City before, against the Denver Broncos in 1997.<\/p>\n

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