New England Patriots to meet Detroit Lions in third NFL game at Allianz Arena

The match-up for the third international National Football League (NFL) game at the Allianz Arena is confirmed: on 15 November, the Detroit Lions will take on the New England Patriots, kicking off at 15:30 CET. The FC Bayern stadium previously hosted American football teams in 2022 and 2024, with another encounter planned for 2028 as part of a multiyear agreement.

Rouven Kasper, FC Bayern board member for marketing and sales: “Since the whole stadium sung ‘Country Roads’ together at the first NFL game in Munich, American football fans from across the world feel at home here. On such days, the attention of millions of people turns to Munich, which has an excellent reputation as a sports city. FC Bayern is looking forward to the next edition; we want to be the perfect hosts again and offer all visitors an incredible experience that they will remember long after the game has ended.”

Alexander Steinforth, general manager of NFL for the DACH region: “The NFL is delighted to be able to welcome the New England Patriots and the Detroit Lions to Munich in November for an exciting game in cooperation with FC Bayern and the City of Munich. Germany is an important market for the league’s global growth ambitions – with almost 20 million fans it has the largest fan community in Europe. We are very much looking forward to offering NFL fans from Germany and the whole world the best NFL experience on matchday and during the entire 2026 season.”

In 2022, a total of 69,811 fans from across the world descended on the Allianz Arena for the match between the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (16-21). Two years later, a crowd of 70,132 watched the encounter between the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers (17-20). FC Bayern players such as Manuel Neuer, Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies have also attended the NFL’s international outings. Full ticket information and details on the game in November can be found at nfl.com/Munich.

The game at the Allianz Arena is one of nine international match-ups taking place across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums in the coming season. Alongside Munich in the list of famous cities are Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, London, Paris, Madrid and Mexico City. To date, 62 NFL games have been held outside the USA. As well as the Bavarian state capital, Berlin, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Dublin, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto have played the role of host.