NFL Mexico City 2026: Vikings vs 49ers at Estadio Banorte — Tickets and Guide

The NFL is back in Mexico City, and this time it brings its biggest television window with it. On Sunday 22 November 2026 the Minnesota Vikings and the San Francisco 49ers meet at Estadio Banorte — the renamed Estadio Azteca — for the first Sunday Night Football game ever staged outside the United States. This guide covers the date, the venue, tickets, transport, where to stay and how to handle the altitude.

NFL Mexico City 2026: date, kick-off and how to watch

The game is fixed for Sunday 22 November 2026, in Week 11 of the 2026 NFL season. Kick-off is scheduled for 19:20 Central Mexico Time, which is 20:20 Eastern and 01:20 UTC on Monday morning.

NBC carries the game as its Sunday Night Football broadcast, the league’s most-watched weekly window. It is the first time that slot has been taken outside the United States, a signal of how seriously the league now treats the Mexican market.

In Mexico, the game is expected to air on free-to-air television as in previous editions, alongside NFL Game Pass streaming options. Broadcast details for Latin America are confirmed closer to game day.

Vikings vs 49ers: the matchup

San Francisco is the designated home team, giving up a date at Levi’s Stadium for Mexico City. The 49ers know this stadium well: they won the last NFL game played here, a 38-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in 2022.

The all-time series between the franchises stands almost perfectly level at 25 wins each and one tie. Their last meeting came in Week 2 of the 2024 season, when Minnesota won 23-17 at home.

The 49ers are making history of their own in 2026 as the first NFL team to play two international games in one season, having opened the year against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne. The Vikings, meanwhile, played back-to-back international games in Dublin and London in 2025.

Estadio Banorte: the renovated Azteca

Estadio Banorte is the new commercial name of the Estadio Azteca, the most storied stadium in Latin America. It is the only ground to have hosted matches at three FIFA World Cups, including the opening game of the 2026 tournament in June.

The stadium sits in the Santa Úrsula district of southern Mexico City at roughly 2,200 metres above sea level, holding around 87,000 spectators after its World Cup renovation. The altitude is a genuine competitive factor, and both teams are expected to arrive several days early to acclimatise.

For the NFL, the venue’s return matters symbolically. The first regular-season game ever played outside the United States happened here in 2005, when 103,467 fans watched the 49ers lose to the Arizona Cardinals — still one of the largest crowds in league history.

Tickets: how and when to buy

Official tickets sell through Ticketmaster Mexico, with hospitality packages offered through the league’s authorised partners. Demand has been heavy since the schedule announcement in May, and the lower bowl was largely sold through official channels by September.

On resale platforms, prices were starting at around US$472 in mid-September and climbing for lower-tier seats. Buy only through the official vendor or authorised resale exchanges, since counterfeit tickets are a known problem around this event.

Getting to the stadium

The classic route is Metro Line 2 to Tasqueña, then the Tren Ligero light rail to Estadio Azteca station, a short walk from the gates. For a Sunday night game, check the last train times before relying on this for the journey back.

Ride-hailing works but expect surge pricing and road closures around Calzada de Tlalpan after the final whistle. Pre-booked parking or official shuttle services from central districts are the least stressful options for a night game.

Fans combining the game with the wider season should note that Mexico City’s Formula 1 Grand Prix runs three weeks earlier at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez — our Mexico City Grand Prix 2026 guide covers that weekend in the same detail.

Where to stay for game weekend

Most international visitors base themselves in Roma, Condesa, Polanco or the Centro Histórico, trading a 45-to-60-minute match-day journey for better hotels, restaurants and nightlife. Coyoacán is the closest pleasant district to the stadium, a 15-minute taxi ride away.

Late November is high season for city tourism, and the NFL weekend adds tens of thousands of travelling fans. Book accommodation as soon as tickets are secured, since rates in the central districts climb sharply in the final month.

Visitors extending their trip can catch the capital’s late-autumn event season, which opens with the Day of the Dead parade three weeks earlier. Our Day of the Dead Mexico City 2026 guide has dates, routes and viewing advice.

Altitude, weather and safety

Mexico City’s 2,240-metre altitude affects visitors as well as players: drink more water than usual, go easy on alcohol on the first day, and expect to feel short of breath on stairs. Late November brings dry, mild days around 22°C and cold evenings near 8°C, so bring layers for a night game.

Standard big-city precautions apply around the stadium and on match-day transport. Keep phones and wallets out of sight in crowds, use official taxi ranks or ride-hailing apps after dark, and follow police instructions on the pedestrian routes to the gates.

What we could not confirm

The NFL had not published the game’s entertainment programme, including any half-time show or fan festival, at the time of writing. Official ticket price tiers from Ticketmaster Mexico were also unavailable, with only resale benchmarks to cite.

Whether either team will hold open practices or fan events in the city during game week remains unannounced. We will update this guide as the league confirms details.

This is reporting, not travel or ticketing advice. Conditions vary by seating section and individual circumstance. Confirm schedules, prices and entry rules with official sources before booking.

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• NFL Rio Game 2026: Maracanã Tickets and Fan Guide
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