Ricky Martin and Brazilian DJ Pedro Sampaio will headline the halftime show at the NFL’s first regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro, taking place September 27th at the legendary Maracanã Stadium.
The pair will perform during the matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys, as the NFL expands its international schedule to seven countries across four continents in 2026.
“Being part of another historic NFL event alongside Pedro Sampaio is incredibly exciting, especially because it brings me back to one of my favorite places in the world: Rio,” Martin said in a statement. “There’s nothing quite like the energy of the Brazilian people.”
Martin is no stranger to historic NFL stages. Earlier this year, he joined Bad Bunny during the Super Bowl LX halftime show, performing “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii.” In fact, his history with the league stretches back nearly three decades: In 1998, he performed “The Cup of Life” at halftime of a Dallas Cowboys-New England Patriots preseason game at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca.
Martin and Sampaio are part of a broader slate of halftime concerts accompanying the NFL’s international expansion this season. The Jonas Brothers will perform at the league’s first regular-season game in Australia on September 11th, while halftime performers for games in London, Madrid, Mexico City, Munich, and Paris have yet to be announced.
The NFL Rio Game kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET on September 27th.
Brazilian funk star @DjPedroSampaio and global music icon @Ricky_Martin will perform at the 2026 NFL Rio Game Halftime Show!
Sept. 27. Maracanã Stadium. @NFLBrasil @sportv @geglobo pic.twitter.com/H8jIVvutGQ
— NFL (@NFL) August 17, 2026
