The Detroit Lions are taking one of their biggest games of the season across the Atlantic. The NFL announced Wednesday that the Lions will host the defending AFC champion New England Patriots on November 15 in Munich, Germany—marking the franchise's first international game since 2015 and their first ever as the designated home team.
This matchup comes as part of the league's requirement for every team to surrender a home date for an international game at least once every eight years. For Lions fans, it means a rare opportunity to see their team on a global stage, but it also reshapes the home schedule at Ford Field in a notable way.
Lions president Rod Wood revealed earlier this spring that the team was allowed to protect two of its nine home games from being moved overseas. Unsurprisingly, they chose division clashes with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. That left the Patriots, New York Giants, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the primary candidates to lobby the NFL for the Munich slot—with New England ultimately winning out.
The Patriots are a compelling choice, both competitively and commercially. As the only non-division team with a winning record (14-3) on the Lions' 2025 home slate, they bring serious star power. Under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel and with MVP runner-up Drake Maye at quarterback, New England won 10 straight games last season and claimed the AFC East title. Their six Super Bowl victories tie them with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most in NFL history, adding to the prestige of this international showdown.
Both the Lions and Patriots hold NFL marketing rights in Germany, making Munich a natural fit. "There's a number of teams that have marketing rights there, so I was happy that it worked out that we got that market versus one of the other ones that we could have gone to," Wood said in March. "We're going to treat it like a pretty big deal from a fan experience standpoint."
For Detroit, this game means the home schedule at Ford Field will feature only two playoff teams from last season: division rivals the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. The rest of the home slate includes the Vikings, Giants, Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, and Tennessee Titans. It's a softer-than-expected list, but the Germany game offers a unique chance for the Lions to build their brand abroad while facing one of the NFL's most storied franchises.
New England previously played in Frankfurt, Germany, in 2023, falling 10-6 to the Indianapolis Colts. This time, they'll look to make a stronger impression on the European stage—and the Lions will be eager to spoil that plan.