SANTA CLARA – It’s no surprise the 49ers are about to accrue the most frequent-flyer miles in an NFL season. After all, not only do they open in Australia, they’ll also play in Mexico City, with that latter “home” game pitting them Nov. 22 against the Minnesota Vikings at the renovated Estadio Banorte on “Sunday Night Football.”
The NFL unveiled its first-ever, nine-game international circuit Wednesday morning, ahead of Thursday’s 5 p.m. PT schedule release for all 272 regular-season games.
The 49ers are expected to fly over 38,000 miles for games away from Levi’s Stadium, not including preseason action nor a potential sixth playoff trip in eight years, which they hope reaches Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
The 49ers have known since February they’ll open against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne (5:35 p.m. PT on Sept. 10; 10:35 a.m. AEST on Sept. 11). That game will air via Netflix.
Shortly after the 49ers hosted this past Super Bowl, their third-ever trip to Mexico was announced, with the opponent and date (Week 11) on hold until this week’s schedule reveals.
“It’s just life in the NFL, right? If you want to be a global brand and you want to expand your sport, you have to play games internationally, and everybody wants to expand, but no one wants to play the games,” 49ers owner Jed York said March 30 at the NFL annual meeting.
“I’m happy to be able to represent the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL, whether it’s in Australia, whether it’s in Mexico or wherever else that it is that we’ll be able to play,” York added. “And at some point you have to play whoever’s on your schedule, where they tell you to play. That’s just how it works.”
The 49ers played the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game in Mexico in 2005, falling 31-14 to the Arizona Cardinals before 103,467 fans. Four years ago, the 49ers won a 38-10 rematch over the Cardinals there, after training a week in the high altitude of Colorado Springs, Colo., where the 49ers are likely to return ahead of this Mexico trip.
“I’m so excited,” 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said April 20. “I think back to when we played there in ’22 and that was a phenomenal experience. The fact that we get to play there again, it will be even better this time.”
Multiple 49ers, however, frowned during February’s Pro Bowl preparations when apprised of the 49ers’ potential Australia and Mexico trips.
“That’s not fair. The NFL, I feel, is doing us a disservice,” fullback Kyle Juszczyk said then in an exclusive interview with this news organization. “Because if we’re going to talk about health and safety, to do two international games like that, it is almost like playing three games in 13 days,” which is how the 49ers squeezed in the end of this past regular season.
The 49ers will become the NFL’s first franchise to play international games on two different continents.
Their remaining road games will be at Arizona, Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas City, Los Angeles (Chargers), New York (Giants) and the Seattle Seahawks.
Coming to Levi’s Stadium, after next month’s FIFA World Cup games, are all three NFC West foes (Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks) plus the Las Vegas Raiders, the Denver Broncos, the Miami Dolphins, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Washington Commanders.
Last season’s Vikings were the first to play back-to-back international games in different countries, losing in Ireland to the Pittsburgh Steelers, then winning in London against the Cleveland Browns.
None of this season’s nine international games includes the defending Super Bowl-champion Seahawks, who’ve only played two foreign games in franchise history.
An international game will be played each week through Week 11 except in Weeks 2 and 8.
This season’s other games abroad are:
Sept. 27, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Maracanã Stadium):
Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys
Oct. 4, London, UK (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium):
Indianapolis Colts vs. Washington Commanders
Oct. 11, London, UK (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium):
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Oct. 19, London, UK (Wembley Stadium):
Houston Texans vs. Jaguars
Oct. 25, Paris, France (Stade de France):
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New Orleans Saints
Nov. 9, Madrid, Spain (Bernabéu Stadium):
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta Falcons
Nov. 15, Munich, Germany (FC Bayern Munich Stadium):
New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions