The 2026 Minnesota Vikings Schedule sends the team to Mexico City for an international game against San Francisco, delivers Monday Night Football against Buffalo at home, features Sunday Night Football against Detroit in December, and runs the NFC North rivalry gauntlet twice each against Green Bay, Chicago, and Detroit. U.S. Bank Stadium hosts Green Bay, Miami, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Atlanta, Carolina, Detroit, Washington, and Chicago across a home slate that opens in September and runs through the regular season finale in January.
2026 Minnesota Vikings Preseason Schedule
Minnesota opens on the road at the Giants before returning home, then closes the preseason in Denver.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug 15 | at New York Giants | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ | 1:00 pm | ESPN App |
| Sat, Aug 22 | vs Baltimore Ravens | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | 1:00 pm | ESPN App |
| Fri, Aug 28 | at Denver Broncos | Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO | 9:00 pm | NFLN/Local |
The 9:00 pm ET kickoff in Denver on August 28 — 7:00 pm local time in Colorado — is a late national preseason window. The back-to-back preseason games on ESPN App suggest Minnesota will have early streaming visibility before the regular season begins.
2026 Minnesota Vikings Regular Season Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Sep 13 | vs Green Bay Packers | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | 4:25 pm | CBS |
| Sun, Sep 20 | at Chicago Bears | Soldier Field, Chicago, IL | 1:00 pm | FOX |
| Sun, Sep 27 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL | 4:05 pm | FOX |
| Sun, Oct 4 | vs Miami Dolphins | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | 4:05 pm | FOX |
| Sun, Oct 11 | at New Orleans Saints | Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA | 1:00 pm | FOX |
| Sun, Oct 18 | BYE | — | — | — |
| Sun, Oct 25 | vs Indianapolis Colts | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | 1:00 pm | CBS |
| Sun, Nov 1 | at Detroit Lions | Ford Field, Detroit, MI | 1:00 pm | FOX |
| Mon, Nov 9 | vs Buffalo Bills | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | 8:15 pm | ESPN/ABC |
| Sun, Nov 15 | at Green Bay Packers | Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI | 1:00 pm | FOX |
| Sun, Nov 22 | at San Francisco 49ers | Estadio Banorte, Mexico City, Mexico | 8:20 pm | NBC/Peacock |
| Sun, Nov 29 | vs Atlanta Falcons | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | 1:00 pm | FOX |
| Sun, Dec 6 | vs Carolina Panthers | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | 4:25 pm | CBS |
| Thu, Dec 10 | at New England Patriots | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA | 8:15 pm | Prime Video |
| Sun, Dec 20 | vs Detroit Lions | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | 8:20 pm | NBC/Peacock |
| Sat/Sun, Dec 26/27 | vs Washington Commanders | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | TBA | TBA |
| Sun, Jan 3 | at New York Jets | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ | 1:00 pm | CBS |
| Sat/Sun, Jan 9/10 | vs Chicago Bears | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | TBA | TBA |
MORE: 2026 NFL Schedule Every Week, Date, and Kickoff Time
Key Games on the 2026 Minnesota Vikings Schedule
Week 1: Green Bay at U.S. Bank Stadium
The Vikings open at home against the Green Bay Packers on September 13 at 4:25 pm ET on CBS. Opening the regular season against Green Bay inside U.S. Bank Stadium is about as sharp an NFC North statement as Week 1 can deliver. The indoor environment in Minneapolis is loud, the rivalry is fierce, and a home win against the Packers in the opener would immediately establish Minnesota’s divisional credibility heading into the rest of the season.
Monday Night Football: Buffalo at U.S. Bank Stadium
The Buffalo Bills visit U.S. Bank Stadium for Monday Night Football on November 9 at 8:15 pm ET on ESPN/ABC. A prime-time home game against one of the AFC’s elite programs in mid-November is exactly the kind of national showcase Minnesota needs to build its résumé. Buffalo traveling to Minneapolis in November — indoors, loud crowd, playoff implications already forming — is a genuinely compelling matchup for the national audience.
Mexico City: Minnesota vs San Francisco at Estadio Banorte
The most unique game on the 2026 Minnesota Vikings Schedule is the November 22 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City, Mexico at 8:20 pm ET on NBC/Peacock. This is part of the NFL’s ongoing international series, and a Sunday Night Football international game featuring two legitimate NFC contenders will draw significant global viewership.
The game counts as a road game for Minnesota — San Francisco is the designated home team — which makes the scheduling math interesting for U.S. Bank Stadium home game totals. The altitude in Mexico City can be a factor for players unfamiliar with the environment.
Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay Packers 2026 — Twice
The NFC North rivalry with Green Bay runs home and away. Green Bay opens the season at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 13. Then Minnesota travels to Lambeau Field on November 15 at 1:00 pm ET on FOX — an early afternoon NFC North game in Green Bay in mid-November with the division race in full swing. Lambeau in November is always a test for visiting teams, and Minnesota will need to manage the environment as well as the game plan.
NFC North Gauntlet Continues: Detroit Twice
Minnesota travels to Ford Field on November 1, then hosts Detroit at U.S. Bank Stadium for Sunday Night Football on December 20 at 8:20 pm ET on NBC/Peacock. The December home game against the Lions is the bigger of the two — a prime-time indoor game in Minneapolis in late December with playoff seeding potentially on the line. U.S. Bank Stadium becomes an advantage in winter conditions that outdoor teams struggle to replicate.
Chicago Twice — Including the Regular Season Finale
The Bears visit U.S. Bank Stadium in what shapes up as a significant NFC North closing matchup on January 9 or 10. Minnesota also travels to Soldier Field on September 20 for the road leg. A regular season finale at home against Chicago — with both teams potentially fighting for playoff positioning — is the kind of last-game scenario that makes the NFC North one of the NFL’s most competitive divisions every year.
Thursday Night at New England in December
Minnesota travels to Gillette Stadium for Thursday Night Football on December 10 at 8:15 pm ET on Prime Video. A short-week road game in Foxborough in early December is a tough spot on the schedule. New England’s home environment — even in a rebuilding era — creates challenges, and the compressed preparation week makes execution even more critical.
Minnesota Vikings Home Games 2026
| Game | Date |
|---|---|
| vs Baltimore Ravens (Preseason) | Sat, Aug 22 |
| vs Green Bay Packers | Sun, Sep 13 |
| vs Miami Dolphins | Sun, Oct 4 |
| vs Indianapolis Colts | Sun, Oct 25 |
| vs Buffalo Bills (MNF) | Mon, Nov 9 |
| vs Atlanta Falcons | Sun, Nov 29 |
| vs Carolina Panthers | Sun, Dec 6 |
| vs Detroit Lions (SNF) | Sun, Dec 20 |
| vs Washington Commanders | Sat/Sun, Dec 26/27 |
| vs Chicago Bears | Sat/Sun, Jan 9/10 |
Eight regular season home games at U.S. Bank Stadium. Two prime-time home windows — Monday Night Football against Buffalo and Sunday Night Football against Detroit — anchor the second half of the home schedule.
Minnesota Vikings Bye Week 2026
The bye falls on Sunday, October 18 — arriving after an early stretch that includes road trips to Chicago, Tampa Bay, and New Orleans. Three of Minnesota’s first five road games take the Vikings to Soldier Field, Raymond James, and the Caesars Superdome — genuinely hostile environments — before the bye provides a reset. The timing is well-placed for a team that needs to recover physically before a demanding November schedule that includes Detroit, Buffalo, Lambeau, and Mexico City in four consecutive weeks.
FAQ
Q: When do the Minnesota Vikings open the 2026 regular season?
A: The 2026 Minnesota Vikings Schedule regular season opens Sunday, September 13, hosting Green Bay at U.S. Bank Stadium at 4:25 pm ET on CBS.
Q: What are the Minnesota Vikings home games in 2026?
A: Minnesota Vikings home games 2026 at U.S. Bank Stadium include Green Bay (Sep 13), Miami (Oct 4), Indianapolis (Oct 25), Buffalo (Nov 9), Atlanta (Nov 29), Carolina (Dec 6), Detroit (Dec 20), Washington (Dec 26/27), and Chicago (Jan 9/10).
Q: When do the Minnesota Vikings play in Mexico City in 2026?
A: Minnesota travels to Estadio Banorte in Mexico City to face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, November 22, at 8:20 pm ET on NBC/Peacock.
Q: When is the Minnesota Vikings bye week in 2026?
A: The bye week on the 2026 Minnesota Vikings Schedule falls on Sunday, October 18.
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