Why Chiefs Won’t Play An International Game In 2026

BusinessSportsMoneyWhy Chiefs Won’t Play An International Game In 2026ByJeff Fedotin,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Jeff Fedotin covers the Kansas City Chiefs and sports business.Follow AuthorMay 13, 2026, 08:00am EDTGiant flags of the United States and Brazil are displayed on the field ahead of the NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by NELSON ALMEIDA / AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesThe Kansas City Chiefs have sought to globalize their brand, going so far as to call themselves the “world’s team” while seeking international contests.“We’ve been one of the most aggressive international teams in the league,” Chiefs president Mark Donovan said. “And we’d love to play again.”Patrick Mahomes is entering his 10th year in the NFL, and during that tenure, the Chiefs have played internationally three times on three different continents.But this year they only will play domestically.Their last remaining chance was the Week Nine game on Sunday, Nov. 8 in Madrid, Spain as the road team to the host Atlanta Falcons, but on Tuesday afternoon, the NFL announced that the Cincinnati Bengals will play the Falcons instead.During the weekend of the 2026 NFL Draft, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said the odds were slightly less than 50% that the Chiefs would play in Spain. “There’s still a possibility that we would play in Spain, and at this point, I do think the opportunities are limited to Spain,” Hunt said. “We know that Atlanta will be the host team there and we’re one of four or five teams that are on their schedule that could possibly be in that game.”Because NFL schedules are 17 games, there are an uneven number of home and road games, and that flips each season. This is the year the Chiefs have an extra road game (nine) to go with their (eight) home games.MORE FOR YOUReducing the number of regular-season games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium to seven in 2026 would s...