For the first time since 2015, the Detroit Lions will play a game outside the United States as the NFL has officially announced that the Lions will play in Munich, Germany, for one game in the 2026 season.
The Lions will play at FC Bayern Munich Stadium (Allianz Arena), home of the highly decorated FC Bayern Munich of Bundesliga. Munich has previously hosted NFL games in 2022 and 2024, and will also host a game in 2028. Frankfort and Berlin have also hosted NFL games during the odd-numbered years in between.
"We are thrilled to be playing internationally and specifically in Munich for the 2026 season," said Detroit Lions president & CEO Rod Wood, who is set to retire prior to the 2026 season, in the Lions' press release. "As an organization, we have invested greatly in the German market and are excited to play in front of our passionate German fans."
The date, time, and opponent will be announced once the full NFL schedule is released. The Lions are set to be the home team for that game, which means Ford Field will only host eight games in the upcoming season.
The Lions are among the teams with marketing rights in Germany, so it's possible their opponent does as well. Based on the Lions' 2026 opponents and the home/road designations for those games, the Lions' opponent will likely be the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, New York Giants, or Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Lions have played in two international games, both at Wembley Stadium in London, England. The first was a 22-21 nail-biting victory over the Atlanta Falcons in 2014. The second was a 45-10 blowout loss against the Kansas City Chiefs the following season.
Amon-Ra St. Brown finally gets to play in front of a German crowd
Playing in Germany has been a long time coming for the Lions, given that their star All-Pro wide receiver has been a league ambassador to the country. Amon-Ra St. Brown, whose mother Miriam is German, is fluent in the language and hosts youth camps there during the offseason.
"It has been a dream of mine to play a game in my mother's home country of Germany since coming to the league," said St. Brown. "I cannot wait to play in front of the incredible fans that I've gotten to know through my visits and football camps in the country. Their support for me and the country's instant connection to the Lions brand is inspiring, and I'm looking forward to our team getting to showcase Detroit football on an international scale."
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St. Brown has also recently mused about the possibility of representing Team Germany in flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will take place in his hometown, Los Angeles, California. As for why, St. Brown told the Detroit Free Press, "USA already has enough players. I mean, look out here. Like, it’s stacked. They got everyone here, so let me play for Team Germany."
It'll be a few years before St. Brown gets his opportunity to represent Team Germany, but luckily for him, the wait to play in his mother's home country won't be nearly as long.