The NFL announced that the Washington Commanders and Jacksonville Jaguars will be the home teams for the 2026 London Games.
Both teams will host the match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the home of the NFL in England, before the Jags return to Wembley Stadium and play at Parliament House for several weeks in a row.
The Jaguars have played 14 regular season games in London since 2013, including three at Tottenham and 11 at Wembley as part of a multi-year deal with the stadium.
Jacksonville finished the 2025 season with a 13-4 record and lost to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round after making the playoffs, but the Commanders looked to quarterback Jaden Daniels for a turnaround and finished the 2025 season with a 5-12 record.
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Seattle defensive coordinator Aden Daade was in good spirits after becoming the first British coach to win a Super Bowl.
NFL UK general manager Henry Hodgson told Sky Sports: “I think it’s exciting. Obviously the Jags are a team that has come off a very successful season with a relatively young core and a new coach, making the play-offs, so we’re really excited to have them here.”
“And Washington, they’re a team that hasn’t been back here in a long time, so it’s going to be great for the fans. I think there’s a lot of traditional Washington Commanders fans in this market. I think they’ll be excited to see them play here.”
“They have some really exciting young players and now that we’re a little over a year removed from the NFC Championship game, they’re probably looking to reload and play again in the 2026 playoffs.”
Washington returns to London for the first time since October 30, 2016, when the game ended in a 27-27 draw at Wembley Stadium.
Last season, they made history by playing their first-ever regular season game in Madrid, Spain, losing 16-13 in overtime to the Miami Dolphins at the iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
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Week 11 Washington Commanders vs. Miami Dolphins Game Highlights
“Last season’s trip to Madrid was personally memorable and a major milestone for our organization,” said Josh Harris, managing partner of the Washington Commanders.
“Playing in the NFL’s first regular season game in Spain and experiencing the passion of the fans was truly special and reaffirmed the power of our coach and the NFL and the excitement around the world.
“London is home to some of the most passionate sports fans in the world and we are grateful for the opportunity to bring the Commander and NFL football to this unique city. This trip is another meaningful moment as we continue to engage with new communities, strengthen relationships and strengthen our fan base in the UK and around the world.”
The NFL has hosted 42 regular season games in London since 2007, and in 2026 the three games in the UK will be part of nine international games played in eight stadiums across four continents and seven countries.
New venues include Paris, Melbourne and Rio de Janeiro, while the NFL returns to London, Madrid, Munich and Mexico City.
“You’ve probably heard that the commissioner’s (Roger Goodell) goal is that if we have an 18-game season, eventually we’ll play 16 international games at some point,” Hodgson added. “And when you look at this, I think the intention is for England to continue to play the same number of games as they currently have.
“I think the aim is to expand the global influence of the sport. But, you know, in major markets like the UK, we need to continue to have the same number of games and to continue to have the NFL locally in Tottenham and Wembley.”
The Jags lost 35-7 to the Los Angeles Rams on a trip to London last October, but under first-year head coach Liam Cohen they won nine of their last 10 games to win the AFC South and advance to the playoffs.
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Highlights of the Wild Card Weekend matchup between Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2025 NFL season
“Last season was my first experience in London as head coach of the Jaguars, and what I quickly realized was that London is definitely our second home,” Cohen said.
“We have a passionate and knowledgeable fan base in London that has been built over time and continues to grow, making a positive impact on our fans across the UK.
“This is something our entire organization, starting with our ownership, has worked extremely hard to achieve, and we take great pride in developing further each season.
“We’ll have two games in London in 2026, so it’s going to be a lot of fun, not only for the fans in London, but also for everyone in Jacksonville on the road. I’m definitely looking forward to it and I know the players will be happy to be back.”
Will the NFL return to Ireland?
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Highlights of the Minnesota Vikings vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game from Week 4 of the 2025 season.
The Irish have been absent from the international schedule since last year, when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin’s iconic Croke Park to host the first-ever NFL regular season game.
It was announced this week that the match boosted the Irish economy by €104.5 million, with more than 51,000 international tourists flying in for the match and 9.1 million viewers watching from home.
“If you had told me a year and a half or two years ago that in a year’s time we would be playing in Ireland, that suddenly 100 schools across Ireland would be playing flag football, that Irish kids would be representing the country in the Pro Bowl, that Virgin Media’s local stations would be presenting the game for the first time, that local hero Charlie Smith would be there, all of that would have stunned us,” he said. Hodgson.
“Looking back at the growth of Ireland as a whole and Irish sport, we are really excited about the achievements of the last 12 to 18 months and what the future holds.
“After announcing the economic impact of the 2025 Games, I was able to spend some time with the Irish Government, who have been working with us to host the Games in 2025. We had some good conversations and certainly everyone’s goal is to try and bring the Games back to Dublin.
“So I think at this point it’s not a question of if, but when.”
