On Tuesday morning, the NFL released its international schedule for the 2025 season as seven games will be played across five countries featuring 13 teams. While the Dallas Cowboys were a consideration to play against the New York Jets at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 12, the Jets and the league opted for the Denver Broncos instead.
“Home teams [like the Jets in this case], we’re a tier-A home game when we come in,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said in December 2024. “We’re always in that mix. Every team is required to give up a home game, so we haven’t done ours yet. We’ll do that.”
With 2025 already set from an international perspective across the league, the focus now turns to 2026 where the Cowboys have a decent shot of going outside the country’s borders for the first time in 12 years.
To play internationally, each team in the league is required to give up a home game. Since the NFL schedule moved to 17 games in 2022, teams have alternated receiving eight and nine home games every season. When giving up a home game to go international, teams will give up one in the year with nine allotted home contests.
For the Cowboys, that will happen in 2026 when they host the Eagles, Commanders, Giants, Cardinals, 49ers, Jaguars, Titans, a team from the NFC South and a team from the AFC North.
“That would be the year we give up a home game,” Stephen Jones said. “99-percent [chance]. We’ll give up a home game when we have nine at home.”
Of all 32 NFL teams, the Cowboys now have the longest drought for playing internationally, as they haven’t played in a foreign country since they traveled to London to take on the Jaguars in 2014. The Steelers previously had the longest drought, but they will give up a home game to play in Dublin, Ireland in 2025 against the Vikings.
Ownership has been vocal about its desires to keep all of the franchise’s home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, but the rubber might have to meet the road in the near future to satisfy league requirements.
“I’m very reluctant to move a home game from here to there,” owner Jerry Jones said in December 2023. “We have a lot of fans. It might fit for a lot of clubs, it doesn’t fit for the Cowboys as much. We’ve got the highest attendance in the NFL, of course. When we don’t have a game here, it makes a big difference.”
Of the international locations that the NFL has held games at in the past, the Cowboys have shown the most interest in returning to Mexico City. Having played three preseason games in the city’s Estadio Azteca (now named Estadio Banorte) from 1994 to 2001 and one preseason game in Monterrey, Mexico, Jones sees an opportunity in Texas’ southern neighbor to grow the Cowboys fanbase.
“If we aren’t playing here, I want to be playing in Mexico City,” Jerry Jones said in 2023. “Mexico City is good and close. It’s because of the fans and the affinity of the fans. The regular season games in Mexico lift the affinity for the Cowboys back in the United States.”
Estadio Banorte has been undergoing a major remodel since 2023, as the country prepares to host five matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer. As a result, the NFL hasn’t played in Mexico since 2022. When the renovations are complete, the league is expected to return in 2026.
With pressure from the league to get the Cowboys back in a foreign country and the impending renovation of Mexico City’s coliseum, 2026 has a good chance to be the year that Jerry Jones finally gives up a home game to play internationally.
In 2025, London will host Vikings-Browns in week five, Broncos-Jets in week six and Rams-Jaguars in week seven. Berlin, Germany will host Falcons-Colts in week 10. Madrid, Spain will host Commanders-Dolphins in week 11. Dublin, Ireland will host Vikings-Steelers in week four. Sao Paulo, Brazil will host the Chargers against an unnamed opponent in week one.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Nick Harris is the Dallas Cowboys beat reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has experience working on the beat for DallasCowboys.com and previous work experience at Yahoo Sports/Rivals and 247Sports.