Léo Ortiz has kickabout with Ravens star Zay Flowers before NFL debut in Rio | OneFootball

According to Coluna Do Fla, Flamengo have opened Ninho do Urubu to the Dallas Cowboys as Rio prepares for its first NFL game, and Léo Ortiz joined Baltimore Ravens receiver Zay Flowers for a friendly kickabout.

Dallas Cowboys face Baltimore Ravens on Sunday 27 at the Maracanã, the first official NFL game in Rio de Janeiro. The week 3 fixture of the 2026/27 season kicks off at 17:25 Brasília time.

A video shows Ortiz beating his opponent and scoring. Flowers joked in good humour that he had already had enough of Léo after being outmanoeuvred.

The matchup forms part of the league’s expanded international schedule, a record year for games outside the United States, with nine fixtures abroad. São Paulo hosted in the past two years, with Rio taking its turn in 2026.

For their preparation, the Cowboys trained at Flamengo’s Ninho do Urubu, while the Ravens worked at Lonier, Botafogo’s centre. The NFL teams shared facilities with local rivals before the league’s city debut.

Ahead of the event, the Maracanã pitch received synthetic fibre stitching on Thursday 24 to reinforce the surface and improve safety. The intervention also addresses recent criticism from Flamengo and Fluminense players, though issues have persisted.

Flamengo return to the stadium on 11 October to face Fluminense in round 30 of the Brasileirão. Their supporters will watch the Cowboys v Ravens buildup from afar.

Source: Coluna Do Fla

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”