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where are the playoff games being played

Most fans asking “where are the playoff games being played” right now are talking about the NFL playoffs, so here is the quick scoop on the current slate of big games and where they’re happening this season.

NFL playoffs: where the games are

This season’s NFL playoff games are being played at the home stadiums of the higher-seeded teams through the conference championships, with the Super Bowl at a pre-selected neutral site.

  • Wild card & divisional rounds:
    • Games are hosted by the higher seed at their home stadium (for example, places like Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, Soldier Field in Chicago, Lumen Field in Seattle, Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, etc., depending on the specific matchup and seeding).
* Each matchup keeps the traditional “host city” format rather than using neutral sites.
  • Conference championship games :
    • The AFC Championship is hosted by the top surviving seed in the AFC at its home stadium.
* The NFC Championship is hosted by the top surviving seed in the NFC at its home stadium. Recent schedules show matchups like New England at Denver and the Rams at Seattle for these spots.
  • Super Bowl :
    • The Super Bowl is held at a neutral venue chosen years in advance; for the 2025–26 NFL season, the game is scheduled for Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
* This is the only NFL playoff game that is not played on a participating team’s home field.

College Football Playoff note

If instead you meant the College Football Playoff, those postseason games rotate among major bowl stadiums and a designated championship site, such as Miami Gardens, Florida for the CFP National Championship in the 2025–26 cycle.

World Cup-style play-offs

For soccer fans asking about “play-offs” in a World Cup context, the 2026 FIFA World Cup inter-confederation play-offs are set to be played in Mexico at two stadiums: Estadio Akron in Guadalajara and Estadio BBVA (renamed “Estadio Monterrey” during the event) in Monterrey, with each venue hosting two matches.

If you tell which sport or league you’re following (NFL, NHL, NBA, soccer, etc.), a more precise, game-by-game list of where the playoff games are being played can be outlined for you.

TL;DR:

  • NFL playoff games: higher seed’s home stadium until the Super Bowl.
  • Super Bowl: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA for this season.
  • CFP: New Year’s Six bowls plus a rotating title-game site (e.g., Miami Gardens).
  • 2026 World Cup inter-confed play-offs: Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.