Detroit Lions Draw Reigning AFC Champs For 2026 International Game

The Detroit Lions now know the date and opponent for their trip to Germany.

On Wednesday, the NFL announced that the Lions will officially travel to Munich, Germany to take on the New England Patriots on November, 15. The game will be played at FC Bayern Munich Stadium, and it falls in Week 10 of the NFL season.

Earlier in the week, it was announced that the game will kick-off at 9:30 a.m. ET and will be televised on FOX as part of a broadcast tripleheader on that day.

The announcement comes as a precursor to the official NFL schedule being revealed at 8 p.m. Thursday. Detroit has had one other game revealed up to this point, that being a Week 2 primetime showdown at the Buffalo Bills.

New England is an intriguing matchup for the Lions, as the Patriots are coming off a trip to the Super Bowl. In Mike Vrabel's first year as head coach, the Patriots won the AFC East with a 14-3 record. They reached the Super Bowl, but fell 29-13 in the Super Bowl to the Seattle Seahawks.

The timing of this game sets up an interesting section of the schedule, as the Lions will play their annual Thanksgiving game just 11 days after their international trip, with a potential additional game between the two in Week 11.

This trip to Germany will mark the first overseas game of the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell era. The organization is 1-1 in overseas games in their history, with both of the previous two being played in London.

The Lions’ organization has developed strong ties with Germany over the past several years. They were awarded marketing rights in the region as part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program along with Austria and Switzerland, and have developed a partnership with FC Köln, a soccer team in the Bundesliga.

Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown’s mother was born in Germany, and the wideout has helped host youth football camps in the region. The All-Pro wide receiver recently expressed excitement at the team’s journey of playing overseas.

“I think they’re starving for football,” St. Brown said during a panel at the NFL’s owners meetings, via ESPN. “I think the fans that even know a little bit about football, they’re so eager to learn about the sport, so eager to watch the games.”

The overseas trip can be challenging for teams, but Campbell made light of the situation with a joke at the owners’ meetings about the team renting a cruise ship. As of the owners’ meetings, Campbell had not yet decided how early the team would be making the trip over prior to the game.

“I’ve done both, played well with both, lost with both,” Campbell said. “Went out there a week (early), we won one time. Went out there a week (early), and we got throttled. Then, we went out there on a Thursday, played well.""

The Lions’ game overseas will be one of nine international games in the NFL this year. In addition to Germany, teams will play in London, Mexico City, Melbourne, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro.

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