The NFL is monitoring the condition of the field at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro ahead of the Baltimore Ravens-Dallas Cowboys Week 3 game on September 27, with the league facing a tight turnaround after concerns about the heavily used soccer pitch.
NBC Sports reported late Saturday that the league is aware of the field concerns and is taking steps to make sure the surface is ready for the NFL’s first regular-season game in Rio. The game remains officially scheduled for Maracanã Stadium at 4:25 p.m. ET next Sunday.
Field condition has become a real Week 3 issue
The concern is not about the event itself being finalized; the NFL continues to list Baltimore against Dallas at Maracanã on its official international schedule. The issue is whether the playing surface can be brought to NFL standards in the limited time available.
Recent soccer matches, heavy use and weather have put visible stress on the grass. Brazilian reporting has described the pitch as being in poor condition, while players from clubs that use Maracanã have publicly criticized its uneven quality.
NBC Sports reported that one more soccer match is scheduled at the stadium on Sunday before the NFL’s final preparation window begins. That leaves less than a week for assessment, repairs and football-specific field preparation before the Ravens and Cowboys arrive.
The NFL is taking steps, but no venue change has been announced
The important distinction is that concern about the field is not the same thing as a decision to relocate the game. As of Sunday morning, the league’s official schedule still lists Maracanã Stadium as the venue, and no alternate site has been announced.
NBC Sports reported that the NFL is taking steps to ensure the field will be suitable. The next meaningful checkpoint should come after Sunday’s soccer match, when the league and stadium operators can evaluate the surface without another event immediately in front of them.
Any discussion of Dallas as a possible fallback site remains hypothetical unless the league makes a formal change. For now, the news is that the field has drawn enough concern for the NFL to be actively monitoring and addressing it.
Why the turnaround is unusually tight
Maracanã is one of the busiest major stadiums in Brazil. UOL reported that persistent use and recent weather have contributed to the current condition, with stadium management already considering more extensive turf work after the NFL game.
That creates a difficult operational balance. The surface has to recover from soccer use, then be prepared for an NFL game that places different stresses on the field, including concentrated line play and repeated action between the hash marks.
The NFL has experience adapting international venues for football, but a damaged or uneven surface is a separate challenge from simply converting field markings and equipment. Player footing and consistency of the playing surface become the primary concerns.
There is precedent for a late international venue change
The league has moved an international game when field conditions were deemed unsuitable. In 2018, the scheduled Chiefs-Rams game in Mexico City was moved to Los Angeles after concerns about the playing surface at Estadio Azteca.
That history gives context to the current scrutiny, but it should not be read as evidence that Ravens-Cowboys will move. The NFL has not announced that Maracanã is unplayable, and its public event information still identifies Rio as the host.
What to watch next
The most important development will be the condition of the field after Sunday’s final soccer match and whether the NFL provides a formal update on its preparation plan.
With the game only one week away, any major remediation would have to happen quickly. Until the league says otherwise, Baltimore and Dallas remain scheduled to meet September 27 in Rio, but the Maracanã surface has become a legitimate game-week storyline rather than a routine venue detail.
Sources
- NBC Sports: NFL aware of potential Maracanã field issues for Ravens-Cowboys (September 19, 2026)
- UOL: Maracanã turf conditions and possible post-NFL replacement (September 18, 2026)
- NFL Football Operations: 2026 international games schedule (accessed September 20, 2026)
- A to Z Sports: Field-condition concerns ahead of Cowboys-Ravens in Rio (September 18, 2026)