The NFL’s 2026 schedule is set to be released soon, but the Dallas Cowboys are already dealing with a headache. Their upcoming matchup against the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has sparked debate across the league because of the complicated travel plans and questions about whether the situation is fair.

“The Brazil game is cool and all, but it puts the Cowboys in a very awkward spot, imo. The NFL doesn’t give Week 4 byes, and it can’t give both Dallas and Baltimore a Monday Night game. So at least one of the two teams will have a regular week between Week 3 and Week  Previously, Brazil games were on a Friday (Week 1),” reporter Mauricio Rodríguez posted on X.

It is going to be hard times for the Dallas Cowboys at the beginning of the 2026 season due to their international game against the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro on September 27 in Week 3.

This game may prove to be a great historical event, but it presents a significant scheduling problem. The trip between Dallas and Brazil reportedly takes almost 12 hours, meaning that the players will have to spend an entire day traveling both ways. The added issue will be the change in the time zone, which will not leave sufficient rest time for players after such a long journey.

There is also the lack of support from the home crowd that the Cowboys will miss, but what makes things even tougher is the timing. Teams that play international games usually receive a bye week afterward to recover from the travel, but that likely will not happen here. The NFL’s recent scheduling pattern suggests bye weeks will not begin until Week 5, leaving Dallas to jump right back into action in Week 4.

There is also the question of fairness. In previous Brazil games played on Friday nights, some teams returned the following Sunday, while others were given an extra day before playing on Monday night. Since this game is scheduled for a Sunday afternoon, either team could end up getting an extra day through a Monday night showdown.

All of these factors combined spell trouble for the Cowboys. The combination of a long journey, rest issues, and inflexible scheduling has led to an added burden for the NFL as they try to strike a balance between travel requirements and excitement surrounding another major international event.

The Dallas Cowboys set to face the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil

On April 24, 2026, the Baltimore Ravens are officially headed to Rio de Janeiro against the Dallas Cowboys during the 2026 NFL season. The rest of the NFL’s full 2026 schedule will officially be released on Thursday, May 14, 2026.

As already mentioned, the matchup is scheduled for September 27 at 4:25 p.m. ET at the Maracanã Stadium, which holds more than 78,000 fans.

Maracana is one of the most iconic sports venues in the world. The stadium hosted the FIFA Men’s World Cup matches in 1950 and 2014, and it’s the venue where the 2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony took place.

It will only be the third time in the team’s history that the Ravens will participate in an international game. In the past, the team had participated in the games held in London, losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 44-7, but won against the Tennessee Titans 24-16 in 2023.

For the Cowboys, this will be their first time serving as the home team in an international game. Dallas has not played outside the United States since defeating Jacksonville at Wembley Stadium in London in 2014. The franchise has also participated in preseason games in Toronto, Tokyo, London, Mexico City, and Monterrey.

This will be the third straight year the NFL has played a regular-season game in Brazil after previous matchups in Sao Paulo in 2024 and 2025.

The league is making a big effort in terms of expanding globally by organizing an all-time high of nine international matches in 2026 across four continents, seven nations, and eight venues. Cities hosting the game include Paris, Munich, Madrid, London, Mexico City, Melbourne, and Rio.

In addition to the regular games, the NFL made efforts in Brazil to make the sport popular year-round in various ways, including hosting fan events and NFL Flag.