After failing to make a deep playoff run, Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers are exploiting every loophole at hand to maximise their chances of winning in the toughest division across the league. The Niners, after finishing third in the NFC West, beat the Philadelphia Eagles before suffering a blowout loss to the SB LX champs, the Seattle Seahawks. With the team making significant moves this offseason, Shanahan and Co. have taken a significant step to ensure they face no disadvantage in their international game in Mexico.

“NFL teams hosting an international game are allowed to designate two opponents they prefer not to face,” NinerStats on X wrote. “With the 49ers hosting a game in Mexico City, one of the teams they’ve chosen not to play is the Denver Broncos. The reasoning is due to the altitude—Denver is already accustomed to playing and practicing at high elevation, which could give them a built-in advantage over SF.”

San Francisco was confirmed as the home team for a regular-season game at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City next season on February 18, with the NFL releasing a statement where the league’s Mexico director general, Arturo Olive, welcomed the franchise to their new home.

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“We’re delighted to host the San Francisco 49ers once again in Mexico City for the 2026 NFL Mexico game,” Olive said, as per ESPN. “We look forward to being back in a country that plays such a meaningful role in the growth of our game.”

The Niners last played at Estadio Banorte in 2022, registering a 38-10 win against the Arizona Cardinals. Now, coming back to 2026, with the Shanahan-coached unit set to host the Raiders, Broncos, Dolphins, Rams, and Cardinals, the franchise can decide which teams it will face for the international games. Hence, the 49ers have decided not to play Denver at their international home in Mexico City, which allows them to take advantage of their new home venue.

Both Estadio Banorte and Empower Field at Mile High Stadium are high-altitude stadiums at 7,350 feet and 5,280 feet above sea level, respectively, which wouldn’t have been a major disadvantage for the Broncos. With that said, San Francisco will now take on Los Angeles (Rams), Las Vegas, Miami, or Arizona in Mexico City.

However, this matchup in La Capirucha won’t be the only international game for the 49ers this season, with Kyle Shanahan and Co. kicking off their season against divisional rivals, the Rams, down under in Australia. While the NFL and fans all around the world are excited about this international fixture, the 49ers’ head coach has raised concerns with the scheduling.

Kyle Shanahan is unhappy about the 49ers’ international games schedule

The San Francisco 49ers will join the Los Angeles Rams to create history for their 2026 season opener, with both NFC West teams taking on each other in Melbourne, Australia. Both teams will travel 19 hours away to play in a Week 1 game at Melbourne Cricket Ground for a 10:30 a.m. start on Friday, September 11th, in Australia time.

Hence, when asked about this predicament at the NFL Annual League Meeting in Arizona, head coach Kyle Shanahan questioned this scheduling while acknowledging the importance of these international games to the future of the league.

“So fired up,” Shanahan said. “That was our goal to go 19 hours away and play a game. I think we’re going back in time or in the future. I think we gained a day or lost one. Not sure which yet, but it is what it is, and we’ll deal with it. I think there are eight international games, and we got two of them, so I’m fired up about that… They [the NFL] tell you when, and you deal with it. I don’t see any pros. I mean, it’s cool for the league playing globally; I think that’s awesome, but as far as the team doing it, there’s not much benefit in doing it. Sometimes it’s nice to get it, the bye week after, but it doesn’t happen in Week 1.”

While Kyle Shanahan has managed to maintain his advantage for the international game in Mexico, he still has a massive challenge at the start of the season with his 49ers travelling to Australia and taking on arch-rivals.