Lions return to international play with 2026 game in Germany
Eric WoodyardFeb 24, 2026, 08:45 AM ET Close Eric Woodyard covers the Detroit Lions for ESPN. He joined ESPN in September 2019 as an NBA reporter dedicated to the Midwest region before switching to his current role in April 2021. The Flint, Mich. native is a graduate of Western Michigan University and has authored/co-authored three…
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Eric Woodyard
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The Detroit Lions will play a 2026 regular-season game in Munich, Germany, for the first time in the organization’s history.
The game will be held at the FC Bayern Munich Stadium and will mark the team’s first international contest in over a decade.
However, the Lions’ opponent, game date and kickoff time won’t be announced until the entire NFL schedule is revealed in the spring.
“We are thrilled to be playing internationally and specifically in Munich for the 2026 season,” Lions president and CEO Rod Wood said in a statement. “As an organization, we have invested greatly in the German market and are excited to play in front of our passionate German fans.”
Detroit’s last international game was Nov. 1, 2015, against the Kansas City Chiefs as the away team at London’s Wembley Stadium. Prior to that, the Lions were the home team at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 26, 2014, in a victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown‘s mother, Miriam, hails from Cologne, and he has been itching to return to Germany, where he frequently visited as a child.
St. Brown and the Lions have recently hosted football camps across the country and have built a fan base there with marketing rights in the DACH region, which represents Germany, Austria and Switzerland, to expand their global reach.
“It has been a dream of mine to play a game in my mother’s home country of Germany since coming to the league,” St. Brown said. “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.”
