Andy Devaney
The 2026 NFL London Games are getting some familiar faces – and one fan base that now treats the Tube map like a second playbook. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Commanders have been confirmed as the headline teams for London’s next NFL double-header at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the Jags also packing their teal passports for yet another return to Wembley.
For the league, it’s another statement that London isn’t just a stop on the schedule anymore. It’s a habit.
London Still the NFL’s “Home Away From Home”
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, already branded the spiritual UK home of the NFL, will host two games featuring the Jaguars and Commanders in 2026. On top of that, Jacksonville will again march down Wembley Way as part of their multi-year commitment to playing in Britain, making it the third time they’ve played back-to-back weeks in the UK.
Since 2013, the Jaguars have appeared in 14 regular-season games in London – 11 at Wembley, three at Tottenham – numbers that would make some actual London clubs feel underrepresented on their own patch. The Commanders, meanwhile, add to a growing international scrapbook that already includes London (2016) and Madrid (2025).
The exact opponents, dates and kickoff times will be revealed when the full 2026 NFL schedule is released this spring. For now, UK fans know the headliners and the venues; the plot twist is still to come.
“The NFL London Games Bring Fans Together”
The league isn’t shy about what London means to its global ambitions. The UK is now home to more than 17 million NFL fans, and since 2007 more than three million people have filed through turnstiles at Wembley and Tottenham for regular-season games. That traffic has generated more than £2 billion in total economic impact and 42 regular-season contests on British soil.
As ever, the London fixtures are being presented as more than just a travelling circus of shoulder pads and smoke machines.
“We look forward to welcoming the Commanders and Jaguars back to London as part of the 2026 NFL international games,” said NFL U.K. & Ireland General Manager Henry Hodgson. “The NFL London games bring fans together from across the UK and beyond, and play a key role in engaging our existing fans as well as creating new audiences and driving NFL fandom in this market.”
It’s part evangelism, part economics – and London, once the experimental test market, is now the case study everyone else is given to copy.
Jaguars Deepen Their Bond With London
No franchise has leaned into the NFL London Games quite like the Jaguars. What started as an annual curiosity has turned into a long-term relationship, complete with marketing rights under the league’s Global Markets Program. That scheme formally hands clubs the keys to international territories, giving them licence to build fan bases, host events and chase commercial opportunities as if they were working their home state.
Head coach Liam Cohen has already bought into the idea that this is more than just a long road trip.
“Last season was my first experience in London as head coach of the Jaguars, and my immediate takeaway was London is undoubtedly our home away from home.” Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Cohen said. “We have a passionate and knowledgeable fan base in London, built over time and still growing, and we’re making a positive impact with fans throughout the United Kingdom as well.
That’s something our entire organisation, starting with our ownership, has worked very hard to achieve and takes great pride in further developing each season. With two games in London in 2026, it’s going to be great fun for our fans in London as well as for everyone in Jacksonville who will be making the trip. I’m definitely looking forward to it, and I know our players are happy to return as well.”
You get the sense this is no longer “just” a business strategy. For a chunk of the Jaguars’ roster and staff, London is the place where the schedule gets weird, the crowd sings songs they don’t fully understand, and the home jerseys are suddenly being worn on a different continent.
Commanders Continue Their Global World Tour
If the Jaguars are London regulars, the Commanders are quickly becoming the NFL’s touring band. Their trip to Madrid in 2025 – the league’s first regular-season game in Spain – clearly left a mark.
“Last season’s trip to Madrid was personally unforgettable, and a tremendous milestone for our organization,” said Washington Commanders Managing Partner Josh Harris. “Playing in the NFL’s first regular season game in Spain and experiencing the passion of fans was truly special and reaffirmed the power of and excitement for the Commanders and NFL globally.
London is home to some of the most passionate sports fans in the world. We’re grateful for the opportunity to bring the Commanders and NFL football to this unique city. This trip represents another meaningful moment to engage new communities, strengthen relationships, and continue to enhance our fanbase in the UK and worldwide.”
With London on the 2026 slate, the Commanders’ international record will show regular-season games in Spain and the UK, and a front office that clearly enjoys converting new fans in new languages. It’s one thing to talk about “brand growth”; it’s another to watch your quarterback being recognised in Madrid and your jersey being worn on the Northern line.
Record-Breaking Global Slate: Nine Games, Four Continents
The NFL London Games are just one part of an unprecedented international push in 2026. In total, there will be a record nine regular-season games outside the United States, spread across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums.
To date, 62 regular-season NFL games have been played abroad, with London, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dublin, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto all having hosted. London may have kicked the door open in 2007, but it now finds itself in busier company.
For 2026, the confirmed international markets are:
- London, U.K. – Two games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, one at Wembley Stadium
- Madrid, Spain – Bernabéu Stadium
- Melbourne, Australia* – Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Mexico City, Mexico – Estadio Banorte
- Munich, Germany – FC Bayern Munich Arena
- Paris, France* – Stade de France Stadium
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil* – Maracanã Stadium
(* indicates a new market/city for 2026.)
In other words, the NFL isn’t just dipping toes in foreign waters anymore. It’s doing laps.
What It Means for UK Fans
For British fans, the message is clear: the NFL London Games aren’t going anywhere. With 17 million fans, more than three million tickets already sold since 2007, and over £2 billion in economic impact, London has proven it can fill stadiums, bars and hotel rooms on autumn Sundays as reliably as a local derby.
The Jaguars’ sustained presence means UK supporters can latch onto a “home” team without needing an overnight flight. The Commanders’ return adds fresh storylines and a different flavour of fan culture to the mix. And for neutrals, the prospect of high-stakes regular-season football in purpose-built venues like Tottenham – plus the grand old echo chamber of Wembley – remains one of the more surreal and satisfying entries on the sporting calendar.
Henry Hodgson summed up the league’s thinking with his nod to fandom and future growth; this isn’t just about selling tickets, it’s about embedding the sport into a country that already treats Sunday as a sacred sporting ritual.
How to Stay in the Loop
Full opponents, dates and kick-off times will drop with the 2026 schedule later this spring, but fans can get ahead of the rush by registering for updates:2026 NFL London games: nfl.com/London
- 2026 NFL Madrid game: nfl.com/Madrid
- 2026 NFL Melbourne game: nfl.com/Melbourne
- 2026 NFL Mexico City game: nfl.com/Mexicocity2026
- 2026 NFL Munich game: nfl.com/Munich
- 2026 NFL Paris game: nfl.com/Paris
- 2026 NFL Rio game: nfl.com/Rio
Fans in the UK can also follow NFL UK and Ireland on Instagram, X, TikTok and YouTube for announcements, behind-the-scenes content and the usual diet of hype videos and highlight reels.
Perspective: London’s Place in the NFL’s Future
Strip away the marketing gloss, and the 2026 plans say something pretty simple: London isn’t a novelty. The NFL London Games are now central to how the league thinks about its future.
The Jaguars’ “home away from home” storyline, the Commanders’ growing global footprint, and a packed international slate featuring cities from Melbourne to Rio all point in the same direction. The NFL wants to be as comfortable on the Piccadilly line, the U-Bahn and the Metro as it is in the American Midwest.
For UK fans, that means more big games, more star names and more chances to watch meaningful football without calculating time zones. For the league, it means a market that has gone from curiosity to cornerstone in less than two decades – and shows no signs of easing up on the noise any time soon.
