The San Francisco 49ers are set to become only the second team in NFL history to play two different international games in a single season after being chosen to play in Mexico next year.
Having also been allocated the first-ever game in Australia, which comes against the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco will shatter the league’s all-time mileage record by heading to both Melbourne and Mexico City in the 2026 campaign.
The date and opponent are yet to be determined for the showpiece in North America, but it will be played in the renovated Azteca Stadium, which recently was renamed Banorte.
The stadium has been closed for renovations since May 2024 ahead of the 2026 World Cup and will reopen in March with a soccer match between Mexico and Portugal.
The game is the first in a three-year contract signed by the NFL to bring games to Mexico.
And incredibly, it means the 49ers will cover more than 38,000 miles next season, while crossing through a staggering 54 time zones.
The San Francisco 49ers are set to break the NFL’s all-time mileage record in the 2026 season
The 49ers have been allocated a game at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City (pictured)
Research from Bookies.com has calculated that Kyle Shanahan’s team must jet 15,738 miles for the Australia game along with 3,854 when they head to Mexico.
Their remaining seven road fixtures come against the Atlanta Falcons (4,258), New York Giants (5,111), Arizona Cardinals (1,224), Kansas City Chiefs (2,958), Seattle Seahawks (1,412), Dallas Cowboys (2,934) and LA Chargers (616).
The predicted total of 38,105 miles traveled will surpass the previous record held by the Chargers, who racked up 37,086 miles in 2025.
The 49ers last played in Mexico City back in the 2022 season, when they defeated the Cardinals 38-10 on a Monday night at the Azteca Stadium.
The NFL has hosted six regular-season games south of the border since 2005, when San Francisco played against the Cardinals in Mexico City in the NFL’s first international regular-season game.
‘We are thrilled to return to Mexico and to play in front of one of the most passionate fan bases in the league,’ 49ers CEO Al Guido said.
‘After two unforgettable experiences in 2005 and 2022 we are excited to reunite with the Mexico faithful.’
According to the NFL office in Mexico, San Francisco is one of the most popular teams in the country alongside the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots.
Mexico also has a 40 million fan base, the largest outside of the United States.
The 49ers are one of 10 teams with marketing rights in Mexico as part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program giving them a chance to build their brand beyond the United States.