The Detroit Lions’ first international appearance in more than a decade will come against the New England Patriots.
Detroit and New England will face off at Germany’s FC Bayern Munich Stadium on Nov. 15, according to an announcement made Wednesday morning on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET. The NFL’s full international slate in 2026 includes contests in Australia, Brazil, France, London, Mexico and Spain, in addition to Germany.
The Lions last played overseas in 2015, when they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 45-10, at Wembley Stadium in London. The Dallas Cowboys are the only team in the NFL currently on a longer run without an international game than the Lions. Dallas will host the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro on Sept. 27.
Aside from the bout in Germany, which will take place in Week 10, the only other game on Detroit’s 2026 schedule to be confirmed is a Thursday Night Football battle versus the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 17 (Week 2). It’ll be Buffalo’s first game played at Highmark Stadium, which is set to open later this year. Of course, the Lions will play on Thanksgiving (Week 12), though an opponent has yet to be announced.
The NFL will reveal the full schedules for all 32 teams on NFL Network at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Sending the Lions to Germany always felt like an obvious choice, given wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown’s connections to the region. St. Brown’s mother grew up in Köln, and he’s made frequent visits to the country since his childhood. He also speaks fluent German.
“It has been a dream of mine to play a game in my mother’s home country of Germany since coming to the league,” St. Brown said in February. “I cannot wait to play in front of the incredible fans that I’ve gotten to know through my visits and football camps in the country. Their support for me and the country’s instant connection to the Lions brand is inspiring, and I’m looking forward to our team getting to showcase Detroit football on an international scale.”
The Lions are the home team in Germany, meaning they’ll only play eight times at Ford Field next regular season. Their other home opponents in 2026 include the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans.
The Patriots, winners of the AFC in 2025, are coming off their best season since Tom Brady’s departure. Led by MVP runner-up Drake Maye, the Patriots ranked second and third in the NFL in average points scored (28.8) and yards earned (379.4), respectively.
New England paid more than $10 million annually for three free agents this offseason, in wide receiver Romeo Doubs (formerly of the Packers), offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker (Jets) and edge defender Dre’Mont Jones (Ravens). Key losses for the Patriots include linebacker Anfernee Jennings (now with the Saints), wide receiver Stefon Diggs (free agent) and edge defender K’Lavon Chaisson (Washington Commanders).
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Lions get opponent for 2026 Germany game
Reporting by Richard Silva, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
