Getting the short end of the stick is nothing new for the Las Vegas Raiders. Whether it is reffing miscues, bad scheduling or any other way that the NFL can exert its will over the franchise, the Silver and Black are seemingly always getting screwed by the league.
For a while there, that meant playing in international games. And not just playing in them, but hosting them. Essentially forfeiting a home game back when the season was only 16 games, and there was supposed to be an even amount of road and home contests for every team in the league.
But now that the NFL has gone buckwild expanding its marketing all across the globe, playing overseas is considered an honor. As soon as that mindset shifted, the Raiders have seemingly been exiled from playing in other countries, which may seem like the league doing them a disservice again.
For the most part, though, this is a good thing for Las Vegas.
Las Vegas Raiders only team to be shut out of international games this decade
The 2026 NFL Schedule is set to be released on Thursday evening, and tons of rumors and leaks have already surfaced. Of course, the international slate, which is a league-record nine games this season, has been released, and the Raiders were left off the schedule for the seventh-straight year.
That means that Las Vegas hasn't appeared in an overseas matchup since 2019, when they were still in Oakland. According to NFL Nerd, the Raiders are the only team in the entire league that hasn't played in an international contest in that span. A 2019 London game was their last venture abroad.
This seems a bit ridiculous on the surface. The Raiders are a global brand, one of the NFL's biggest, and they have fans worldwide. In my travels, I have seen far more Shields and Silver and Black than any other team combined. I can also see where people read and comment on Just Blog Baby from.
Those international fans deserve to see their team play close to them, and the league should want one of its most iconic franchises in standalone games across the pond. But Las Vegas hasn't exactly been a beacon of success over the years, so it is understandable, at least from that standpoint.
Plus, the overwhelming majority of players seem to dislike the long trips to play internationally. In fairness to their point, it is tough on their bodies, and there have been several issues with the playing surfaces or other aspects of the game over the years in multiple different places.
With a young team and coaching staff, the Raiders already have plenty to figure out as they get their feet wet in the NFL. Throwing in an international game on top of that, and all that comes with it, would be a lot to handle for an inexperienced crew just trying to keep their head above the water.
So, for as frustrating as it is that the NFL doesn't seemingly want the Silver and Black to be displayed internationally anymore, and as hard as that pill is to swallow for the great members of Raider Nation overseas, from a pure football standpoint, it is a blessing in disguise to stay on American soil.
Because teams are required to play in an international game every eight years, that means that Las Vegas is due for a battle abroad in 2027. Where that will be, when, and against whom all remain to be seen. But the Raiders are at least heading overseas next year to end this nonsense.
Hopefully, by that point, Las Vegas has taken strides towards becoming a winning franchise, and the team has grown up a lot in a year. The Raiders are 2-3 all-time in international contests, and they should be looking to even up that win and loss count next season.
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