SAN FRANCISCO – Just minutes after the 2026 NFL Honors red carpet opened at the Palace of Fine Arts, news broke that the Cowboys would be one of the teams playing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2026.
It's the first time since 2014 that Dallas will play an international game, and it's the first time the NFL will play a game in Rio. For Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones, the game serves as an opportunity to connect with a new area of the team's fanbase.
"I look to where our fans are," Jones said of the game. "I'm excited about the Cowboys fans that we have in Brazil. I'm excited about the country of Brazil. I have a lot of business in Brazil. I have a lot of respect [for Brazil], and to be able to take our team, take the Cowboys down there and be a part of their sports is a big deal."
For many of Dallas' players, it's their first time playing in a game outside of the United States. That's the case for QB Dak Prescott, who is looking forward to the opportunity.
"Super excited," Prescott said. "Being 10 years in the league and I hadn't played an international game, I'm excited for the travel. Just excited to go and play with the Cowboys across the world, just give the fans in Rio and Brazil a chance to see us in person, and just super excited for the experience."
One player who has experienced playing internationally is DT Solomon Thomas, who played in London with the Jets in 2024.
"I feel like it's always cool to play the sport somewhere else," Thomas said. "It's going to be a long trip, it's gonna be hard, but it's gonna be fun to play in a different country and travel somewhere I've never been, and I'm excited for it."
And for Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey, the trip to Rio is a full circle one of sorts. Once a soccer player, it was always a goal to play in an iconic stadium like Maracanã Stadium, and now he'll get the chance to do so.
"I'm very excited," Aubrey said. "I've always wanted to play international games, and I've actually been to Brazil when I was a little kid playing soccer. So it's a mecca. This stadium in particular in Rio for soccer players, I'm excited to be there. Wish I was good enough to play a soccer game there, but you know, I'll take a football game."
