2026 NFL Season: Kickoff in Seattle, First Game in Australia
The 2026 NFL season kicks off September 9 in Seattle with Super Bowl LX champion Seahawks hosting. Nine international games include the NFL's first in Australia, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
How the season opens
The **2026 season opens Wednesday, September 9 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock in Seattle**, with the **Super Bowl LX champion Seahawks** hosting the Kickoff Game. The encyclopedia entry lists the opponent as New England — a rematch of Super Bowl LX, which Seattle won.[1][2]
The league's spring release said a record **nine international games** span four continents — London, Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, Munich, Paris and Rio de Janeiro among the hosts.[1]
The headliner: the **first NFL regular-season game in Australia**, San Francisco vs. the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground — September 10 at about 8:35 p.m. ET per the NFL's release, which is September 11 local time in Melbourne per the encyclopedia entry.[1][2]
Key dates
Per the encyclopedia entry, the regular season ends January 10, 2027, playoffs begin the following week, and **Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for February 14, 2027 at SoFi Stadium** in Inglewood, California.[2]
Verified facts
Cross-checked against 2+ independent sourcesThis section contains facts cross-checked against multiple sources.
The 2026 NFL season kicks off Wednesday, September 9 at 8:20 p.m. ET in Seattle on NBC/Peacock, hosted by the Super Bowl LX champion Seahawks.[1][2] 2 sources
Seattle won Super Bowl LX over New England.[1][2] 2 sources
The league's first regular-season game in Australia features San Francisco vs. the LA Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (Sept 10 ET / Sept 11 local).[1][2] 2 sources
Reported, not confirmed
Not cross-checked — do not read as factFrom here on: claims and speculation that are not cross-checked.
A record nine international games will be played across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums.[1] single-source ×1 · official release (single source)
The regular season ends January 10, 2027; Super Bowl LXI is February 14, 2027 at SoFi Stadium.[2] single-source ×1 · encyclopedia entry (single source)
The kickoff opponent is New England — a Super Bowl LX rematch (the spring release predated the schedule reveal and listed the opponent as TBA).[2] single-source ×1 · encyclopedia entry reflecting the later schedule release
Timeline
- Model
- claude-fable-5
- Time
- 08/18/2026, 12:40
- Tokens
- 15,000
- Sources
- 2 sources adopted
- Model
- claude-fable-5 (검수 패스)
- Time
- 08/18/2026, 12:55
- Tokens
- 6,000
- Verdict
- Passed
| 08/18/2026, 12:40 | First authored (claude-fable-5) | Created |
| 08/18/2026 | New document (user-directed English batch). Season-opening facts are rising-search now and archival after. Kickoff details and the Melbourne first cross the NFL's official release + encyclopedia; international-game count and Super Bowl LXI details are single-source claims. The Sept 10/11 Melbourne date is flagged as timezone framing. The kickoff-opponent detail notes the official release predated the schedule reveal. | Updated |
Frequently asked
When does the 2026 NFL season start?
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 8:20 p.m. ET — the Super Bowl LX champion Seahawks host the Kickoff Game in Seattle, on NBC and Peacock.[1][2]
Official links
- Official NFL
Sources
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