The Miami Dolphins will not be traveling out of the country for an International Series game in 2026. Rumors and speculation have dotted the pre-schedule release lead-up, with many believing Miami would play the 49ers in Mexico City.
The Dolphins would have made sense. They play 9 road games this season and have marketing rights in Mexico. The 49ers will instead host the Vikings on November 22nd.
Last season, the Dolphins traveled to Madrid. The first NFL game played in Spain. The league continues to expand in the overseas market and will return to Spain again this year. Eventually, there could be international games played all season long.
All NINE international games in 2026 🌎🌍🌏
— NFL (@NFL) May 13, 2026
NFL Schedule Release — Thursday 8pm ET on ESPN/NFLN pic.twitter.com/XS1mNSsXGd
Miami Dolphins will play no international games in 2026
Had the Dolphins played in Mexico, it would have saved them a longer trip to San Francisco. In addition, there would be one less potential cold-weather game in late November.
Flying from Miami to Mexico City is a shorter trip than flying to San Francisco. It is approximately 1,100 miles between the two cities, but it's over 3,000 miles to San Francisco.
The Dolphins don't have a great track record playing overseas, so it is another bonus of not going. They currently sit at 2-5 on the international stage, and judging by the roster turnover this offseason, there was a good chance that record would have dropped to 2-6.
- 2007 - Giants 23 - Dolphins 10
- 2014 - Dolphins 38 - Raiders 14
- 2015 - Jets 27 - Dolphins 24
- 2017 - Saints 20 - Dolphins 0
- 2021 - Jaguars 23 - Dolphins 20
- 2023 - Chiefs 21 - Dolphins 14
- 2025 - Dolphins 16 - Commanders 13 - OT
Despite their losing record, the Dolphins have a commanding presence around the world. The Dolphins have NFL marketing rights in six different countries.
- Brazil
- U.K.
- Argentina
- Mexico
- Columbia
- Spain
It shouldn't be a surprise that Miami has a large South American and Mexican following. Miami and Florida specifically are vacation hotspots. Miami has made a significant effort to expand its brand in Brazil, where it previously held cheerleader tryouts.
Unfortunately, the chances of the Dolphins playing meaningful football in the last full month of the regular season are going to be quite low, regardless of where they play, but stateside Dolphins fans in sunny San Francisco will be able to attend the game much more easily.
During their trip to Spain last year, Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel said they wanted to continue to expand their brand around the globe and are willing to take part in the league series, but this year, the NFL didn't see the need.
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