Field quality concerns emerge before NFL's Cowboys-Ravens game in Rio
Days before the league's first regular-season game at Maracanã, Flamengo players are blasting the pitch as unplayable, raising 2018 Mexico City–style relocation fears.
What to know
- The NFL's first regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro, Cowboys vs. Ravens at Maracanã, kicks off September 27, 2026.
- Flamengo players publicly criticized the Maracanã pitch as bumpy and deteriorating just days before the NFL conversion.
- In 2018 the NFL relocated a Chiefs-Rams game from Mexico City to Los Angeles over field issues just six days before kickoff, a precedent now being cited.
- The league has only days after one more scheduled soccer match to assess the field and decide whether the game can proceed as planned.
The dispute Whether the reported field problems pose a real safety/playability risk to the September 27 game or are being overstated relative to other known bad-field incidents. · positions read across 17 posts and comments
The league and owners won't act on the field problems and will play the game regardless of risk.
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“Goodell and the owners don't care. Seemingly the PA doesn't either. The game will happen and nothing will be done about the field.”
butterybuns420 · reddit ↗
Concerns about the field are overstated, since recent high-profile injuries weren't actually caused by field quality.
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“That wasn't the field though, that was 300 pounds of jalen carter landing on the back of Love's leg... Definitely unrelated to bad field quality.”
Pyromelter · reddit ↗
Brazil can host a good NFL game — the São Paulo fixture improved after league investment.
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“I was there for the game in São Paulo last year, and it was incredible. The NFL made a major investment in the stadium after the first game, and the second one was simply fantastic.”
aleebit · reddit ↗
Poor field conditions are a broader, recurring NFL problem, not unique to this game.
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“Brazil is notorious for awful field conditions and stadiums. No one ever ever wants to play there.”
henryhollaway · reddit ↗
“We've been struggling a lot in these last few games, and the field keeps getting worse. It's getting harder and harder to control the ball. If we want to be champions, we have to find a solution.”
Giorgian De Arrascaeta, Flamengo midfielder · Yahoo Sports (via AtoZSports.com) ↗ · Sep 18
Agustín Rossi Flamengo goalkeeper
Giorgian De Arrascaeta Flamengo midfielderNFL League organizing the Rio GameDallas Cowboys Designated home teamBaltimore Ravens Designated visiting team
How it unfolded 4 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlespostscomments
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4
Outlets escalate to 'major' field concerns for the Rio game
Follow-up coverage described the field issues as 'major' and noted the tight timeline — eight days before kickoff — echoing the 2018 case where a game was moved just six days ahead of kickoff.
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first by Yahoo Sports, 4d ago · also Baltimore Banner, Front Office Sports, ESPN, ESPN NFL, TSN
5 more headlines
- NFL intends to proceed with Ravens-Cowboys in Brazil, despite field concerns Yahoo Sports · 3d ago
- Ravens have ‘good shot’ at getting injured stars back for Brazil; NFL expects field will be ready Baltimore Banner · 2d ago
- NFL Has ‘Full Confidence’ Brazil Field Will Be Ready for Cowboys-Ravens Yahoo Sports · 2d ago
- NFL: 'No concerns' over field conditions in Rio for Cowboys-Ravens ESPN · 2d ago
- NFL field director says he's confident Rio stadium surface will be in good shape for Ravens-Cowboys TSN · 1d ago
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5 outlets first by Yahoo Sports, 4d ago · also Newsweek, Baltimore Sun, Sports Illustrated, Baltimore Ravens · read ↗
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NFL field director Nick Pappas said there are "no concerns right now" about the field conditions in Rio de Janeiro for Sunday's game between the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens. Story via @jamisonhensley:
2 more of the top 3 · 10 posts in this stretch
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N
Cowboys vs. Ravens NFL Brazil Game Will Be Held at Maracana Stadium Despite Complaints About Field https://www. rawchili.com/nfl/1006453/ # Football # NFL
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And I'm genuinely baffled by this sentiment, NFL didn't trimy, they went and played in Brazil two times already, last year no QBs had any injuries and the year before that, Jordan Love only was out for two weeks after his injury, yet people act like playing in Brasil will bring season-ending injuries to players.
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3
Report of field concerns spreads via NFL press and social media
Coverage of the field complaints was recirculated by NFL reporters and fan accounts, framing the 2018 Mexico City relocation as a precedent the league may have to repeat.
“Goodell and the owners don't care. Seemingly the PA doesn't either. The game will happen and nothing will be done about the field.”
— butterybuns420, reddit commenter · source -
I was there for the game in São Paulo last year, and it was incredible. The NFL made a major investment in the stadium after the first game, and the second one was simply fantastic.
2 more of the top 3 · 7 posts in this stretch
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Super Bowl 57. They had a new type of grass and over watered it. Players were sliding all over the place and changing their cleats with bigger spikes.
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Goodell and the owners don’t care. Seemingly the PA doesn’t either. The game will happen and nothing will be done about the field.
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2
Soccer players criticize Maracanã field ahead of NFL game
Citing Flamengo players who used the stadium in recent matches, reports describe bumps and poor turf quality, with the NFL needing to assess the field quickly after one more scheduled soccer match before conversion for the American football game.
“You don't even need to talk about the field, it's there for everyone to see... Both penalty areas are bad as [expletive]. If you look at it, there are bumps everywhere.”
— Agustín Rossi -
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NFL confirms Cowboys-Ravens Rio Game details
The league set the Dallas Cowboys as home team against the Baltimore Ravens at Maracanã on September 27, 2026, with kickoff at 5:25 p.m. Brasília time, Brazilian broadcast on sportv/ge tv/TV Globo, and a halftime show featuring Pedro Sampaio and Ricky Martin.
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5 outlets first by Sports Illustrated, 4d ago · also CBS Sports, Baltimore Sun, ESPN, ESPN NFL · read ↗
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3 outlets first by Sports Illustrated, 2d ago · also Yahoo Sports, USA Today · read ↗
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Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
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first by Yahoo Sports, 2d ago
1 more headline
- 4 issues the Ravens must correct before facing Cowboys in Brazil Yahoo Sports · 1d ago
and 7 smaller pieces
What people are saying 10 voices from 2 sites · best of 17 · verbatim
- Will the NFL relocate the Cowboys-Ravens game as it did with the 2018 Mexico City fixture?
- What will the field assessment after Sunday's soccer match show?
- Sep 22
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I mean, given the varying quality of an "NFL-quality field" even in the States, I wouldn't worry that much.
- Sep 21
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Hopefully it's not as bad as the turf in Brazil in 2024. Players on both sides were slipping all game.
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NFL Field Director Nick Pappas said the league has "no concerns" about the conditions of Maracana Stadium in Brazil ahead of Sunday's Ravens-Cowboys game. "For us, it’s been something we’ve been watching and we’ve taken some precautionary measures to support the venue - changes
- Sep 20
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Like the pre World Cup friendlies. Usually the under 20 kids play. It’s usually good because both teams are doing it.
- Sep 19
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Are you going to root for a specific team more in this matchup? Or are you simply going to enjoy the fact that you’ll like the outcome no matter what?
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That wasn't the field though, that was 300 pounds of jalen carter landing on the back of Love's leg. Injury would probably have been worse on artificial turf if you look at it. I checked the replay because I forgot exactly what happened. Definitely unrelated to bad field quality.
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Saquon slipped making a cut on the Eagles' first play of the game. Fortunately that didn't turn out to be a omen for the year.
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You’re bringing up how concerns with Brazil get “manufactured.” Why would they be manufactured if they’re so baseless?
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Brazil is notorious for awful field conditions and stadiums. No one ever ever wants to play there.
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I know why it's because GTAV was based on it but that looks like Trevor's airstrip near the Salton Sea