This will be the second time the Vikings have faced the Steelers and Browns internationally. They beat Pittsburgh in their first game in London, scoring their first victory of the 2013 season with a win at Wembley Stadium. Then, they pulled away from the Browns for a 33-16 win at Twickenham Stadium in 2017, winning their fourth straight as part of an eight-game run in the middle of a 13-3 season.
The fact the Vikings will again play the Browns in London means they’ll continue to avoid Cleveland, where they haven’t played a regular-season game since 2009. If the Vikings and Browns finish in the same place in their respective divisions in 2026, the Vikings would go to Cleveland in 2027.
The Vikings’ agreement with the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority allows them to move three home games from U.S. Bank Stadium to an international site between 2016 and 2030, and permits them to move three more between 2031 and 2045.
Their 2013 game against the Steelers counted against the initial set of three, meaning the Vikings can move one more home game out of the country before 2031. They’re more likely to host international games in even-numbered years when they’re slated to have nine home games, meaning 2026, 2028 or 2030 could be years when they move their final home game in that initial set of three.
This year, though, the Vikings will keep all eight of their home games at U.S. Bank Stadium, while playing seven on the road (against the Bears, Lions, Packers, Giants, Cowboys, Seahawks and Chargers) and facing two teams (the Steelers and Browns) in something closer to a neutral-site environment.
The Vikings are 4-0 in regular-season games and 4-0 in preseason games played outside of the U.S.