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Kevin O'Connell and the Minnesota Vikings are heading back to international soil in 2026.
The Minnesota Vikings are embarking on a journey this coming season beyond the typical confines of what they would otherwise endure during an average NFL schedule, and they will face the San Francisco 49ers.
The contest will be in Mexico.
It is all part of a historic 2026 regular-season slate in the NFL, which will see nine games played in countries outside of the United States.
GettyKevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings will face the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico in 2026.
NFL reporter Brandon Matthews linked the Vikings to the Mexico game on X on May 12, but it is now official, with confirmation coming from the NFL.
“In this corner, bringing incredible power and spectacular stars… THE VIKINGS!” NFL Mexico posted on X on May 13. “Minnesota is coming to Mexico City for the 2026 Mexico City Game against San Francisco.
“SKOL! [hands clapping emoji].”
“¡Vamos Vikings!” the Vikings posted on X on May 13 in reaction to the news. “We’re heading to Mexico City this year for a Week 11 @SNFonNBC matchup with the 49ers.”
Those messages notably come amid the 49ers’ calling the game a “homecoming.”
This is also the second year in a row that the Vikings are playing in one of the season’s international contests. O’Connell and the Vikings went 1-1 in their international games during the 2025 season.
“Relatively unusual for an international trip,” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert said in a post on X on May 13. “Mexico City and San Francisco are ~ distance from MSP and, given the time of year, there won’t be a time change for the Vikings. Regardless, that’ll be 3 international games in the past 2 seasons and 5 from 2022-26.
The Vikings lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers before defeating the Cleveland Browns in Weeks 4 and 5 last season. The Vikings were the road team in both of those matchups.
They did get the benefit of having their bye week after their win over the Browns. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell also spent one season in San Francisco as an offensive assistant with the 49ers in 2016.
That adds another storyline to a matchup already rife with them ahead of the 2026 season.
GettyThe Minnesota Vikings have been frequent participants in the NFL International Series.
The Vikings will travel the 25th-most miles this season for road games, per Bookies’ Bill Speros on May 13. They are not new to the international series, and they have become regulars in recent seasons. That could be telling in what is expected to be increasing efforts from the league.
“The league has scheduled a record nine international games across four continents and seven nations this season as a wave of global football games has emerged as a key initiative for the NFL,” Wilson wrote on May 13. “That focus on international strategy is underscored by the rapid increase of Mexico and Brazil as two of the largest international markets for the NFL with nearly 40 million fans in each nation.
“The ultimate goal for the league: having all 32 teams playing at least one overseas game annually. This is all part of a longer play by the league.”
O’Connell and the Vikings could be in for a lot more international exposure in the coming years.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He's based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
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