Kansas City Chiefs fans might want to brush up on their español, because it's quite possible that the team will be playing in Mexico very soon.
The National Football League announced its intent to return to playing international games south of the border on Monday with a three-year commitment to play games in 2026, 2027, and 2028 at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City.
“We are delighted to bring regular‑season NFL games back to Mexico City beginning in 2026, reaffirming our deep and long‑standing connection with fans across the country,” said NFL Mexico Director General Arturo Olivé in a prepared statement.
For the Chiefs, international exhibitions are nothing new in recent years as the NFL certainly loves to feature its most recognizable players. Since Andy Reid arrived as head coach in 2015, the Chiefs have defeated the Detroit Lions in London (2015), beat the San Diego Chargers in Mexico (2019), rolled over the Miami Dolphins in Germany (2022), and lost to the Chargers in Brazil (2025).
As for Mexico specifically, the Chiefs have a deeper history there than fans might realize.
August 5,1996 - Chiefs 32, Cowboys 6
A sellout crowd of 45K watched the Chiefs absolutely steamroll the Dallas Cowboys in one of the league's first attempts to reach Mexican fans. The preseason exhibition held in Monterrey featured enough fireworks from Rich Gannon and Todd McNair on offense, while the defense held Troy Aikman and company to only six points.
Interesting historical side note: After watching the Kicker Who Shall Not Be Named ruin the 1995 postseason, this game was the first chance for K.C. to try out new options. Roman Anderson and Bjorn Nittmo each kicked for one half, but clearly that didn't take because the Chiefs traded for Pete Stoyanovich shortly before the season began.
November 19, 2018 - Rams versus Chiefs
The Chiefs and Rams were scheduled for a highly anticipated regular-season game at Estadio Azteca between two offensive machines. However, the game was relocated to Los Angeles at the last minute due to concerns about field conditions. Extensive rains ruined the international exhibition, which turned out to be one of the single most thrilling games in recent NFL history: a 54-51 win for L.A. that punctuated just how exciting K.C. would be for years to come.
November 18, 2019 - Chiefs 24, Chargers 17
One year after the failed attempt to play in Mexico City, the NFL rebooted the idea with a mid-season Chiefs-Chargers matchup at Estadio Azteca. This time, the playing surface was fine, but Philip Rivers was not. The Chiefs were rather bland on offense, but four interceptions from Rivers would help the Chiefs put their AFC West rivals away.
The Chiefs aren't guaranteed to play in one of the newly announced Mexico City games. Mexico is the most crowded marketing territory among the 21 countries that are part of the NFL's global marketing initiatives, with 10 franchises awarded the chance to build their fan base in that territory. Other teams include the Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, and San Francisco 49ers.
Even after a miserable 6-11 season, however, the Chiefs remain one of the league's marquee franchises, and the chance to see Patrick Mahomes is always going to be a primetime draw. It would make sense for K.C. to be on the slate more than most other competitors, especially if fandom is the name of the game.