Will the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Play in Europe in 2026?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a better chance than you think to play an international game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles watches game play against the Atlanta Falcons | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The NFL schedule is set to release on May 14, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (like the rest of the league) will learn exactly when they'll be playing the teams that have already been revealed as their opponents. The "when" is the most important part of that equation, but there's also the "where" when it comes to international games.

The Bucs know which teams they'll be playing at home and on the road, but international games can be a part of that equation, too. Those games will get revealed a day earlier on May 13 — the Buccaneers don't host an international game this year, and haven't since they hosted the Seahawks in Munich in 2022.

So will the Bucs play in Europe in 2026? We won't know until Wednesday, but it's more likely than you think.

Buccaneers have two chances to play in Europe in 2026

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. (8) is tackled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers safeties Antoine Winfield Jr. (31) and Christian Izien (29) | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Two teams play a home game in Europe in 2026 and also play the Bucs at home on their schedule — the Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons.

The Lions will be playing a game in Munich this year, and if the Bucs were to play in Europe, this is the most likely option. The Bucs were assigned the German market as their international market, and they've already played in Munich once when Tom Brady was their quarterback. The Bucs have played the Lions in Detroit the last three years including the playoffs, so the league may want to mix a few things up when it comes to their scheduled matchup this year.

The Falcons, meanwhile, are set to play in Madrid. The Bucs have never played in Spain, and a divisional game in Europe is possible, but unlikely. The Bucs play the Falcons twice a year as part of their NFC South divisional rivalry, so they are guaranteed to play them in Raymond James Stadium in addition to wherever this game ends up being played.

The Bucs have eight away opponents and two international games among those opponents, so there's a decent chance that they could end up playing in Europe. We won't know until tomorrow, but Bucs fans might want to renew their passports just in case.

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