Why the Chiefs Will Miss Out on 2026 International Game Despite Clark Hunt’s Global Push

Brazil witnessed the star power of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce in the 2025 season when the Kansas City Chiefs played the Los Angeles Chargers in front of nearly 50,000 people. As the QB enters his 10th NFL season, the franchise has played in three different countries on three different continents. However, Andy Reid’s squad will miss the electric international football experience, as the recently revealed 2026 NFL schedule revealed that all their games will be hosted domestically.

“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 stated about his team’s possibility of playing internationally. “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.”

Even though Clark Hunt has been pushing to build a global image of the Chiefs with a franchise quarterback like Mahomes, his team will not feature in the scheduled nine games, which will be played in Mexico, Brazil, Australia, England, France, and Germany.

The expectation was that the Chiefs would take on the Atlanta Falcons in Spain, as they have global marketing rights in the Southwestern European country. Instead, the league chose the Cincinnati Bengals to face the Falcons in the iconic Bernabéu Stadium, which is the home of the soccer club, Real Madrid, and the game is set to take place on November 8.

A combination of different factors has led to this decision. Clark Hunt is prioritizing the home game revenue, while inflexible scheduling issues, along with Patrick Mahomes’ injury recovery timeline, have influenced the decision.

In the uneven 17-game format in the regular season, the four-time Super Bowl champions have nine road games and eight home games at Arrowhead Stadium this year. With already one less game than road games, the franchise doesn’t want to lose the lucrative stadium revenue alongside the thunderous home game energy with 75,000 fans screaming their hearts out with each snap.

Moreover, Mahomes, who is widely considered the face of the NFL and the Chiefs, is currently recovering from a knee injury that he suffered last season. The league is keeping the returning quarterback in the high-profile evening slot instead of the early morning international games. Hence, the decision is also tied to the broadcasting priority.

“When you have the face of the league in Patrick,” Hunt said, “It certainly facilitates growing your brand.”

In the three international games the Chiefs have played so far, they have a 2-1 record. In both years, they secured an international win; the Chiefs went on to win the Super Bowl. This year, once again, they will be the favorites in the AFC, but will have to play domestically and prove their ability.

“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.”

While the Chiefs miss out on going international this year, there are other franchises as well that will be playing only domestically.

15 other teams will miss international games alongside the Chiefs

The gridiron action is going global, with nine games slated to be hosted outside the United States—an increase from seven last year. The international games will be held across four continents in six countries. While the NFL season kicks off on September 9, the first international game is scheduled just a day later, on September 10.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have played at the iconic Wembley Stadium every year since 2013. According to reports, the franchise makes $55 to $60 million from each game. The team are set to play twice in London this year.

All NINE international games in 2026

NFL Schedule Release — Thursday 8pm ET on ESPN/NFLN pic.twitter.com/XS1mNSsXGd

— NFL (@NFL) May 13, 2026

The NFC West rivals—the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams— will go head-to-head in the first international game of the season in Melbourne, Australia. It will be followed by a high-stakes game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil. Besides these four teams, heavyweights like the Indianapolis Colts, the Minnesota Vikings, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the New England Patriots are in the mix.

In contrast, a total of 16 teams are set to miss the international showdown this year, including the Chiefs. The reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, will aim to defend the title, but playing entirely domestically, while the likes of the Denver Broncos, the Buffalo Bills, the New York Giants, and the Green Bay Packers are among others who will not be crossing oceans.

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