Breaking down who the Seahawks will play in the Divisional Round of the 2026 NFL Playoffs

Sports news nfl January 11, 2026

The Seattle Seahawks are headed back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022, and they’re going in as the betting favorite to run the table and win Super Bowl 60. They beat the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday of Week 18 to clinch the NFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff bracket.

The No. 1 seed comes with a first round bye, which will give Seattle time to rest and get some players back from the injury list. In their finale against the 49ers, they played without left tackle Charles Cross and free safety Coby Bryant. They got the win and it netted an extra week for Cross and Bryant to get healthy.

Seattle Seahawks’ next playoff opponent

Saturday Rams-Panthers update: The Rams won a wild one over the Panthers to open the 2026 NFL Playoffs. It does not tell us much more about the Seahawks Divisional Round opponent other than to eliminate the Panthers from the list.

The NFL re-seeds its bracket after the Wild Card round. That means the Seahawks will face the worst remaining seed rather than knowing it will be one of two teams. If all the higher seeds win in the Wild Card round, Seattle would play the No. 4 seeded Carolina Panthers. If all the lower seeds create upsets, Seattle would play the No. 7 seeded Green Bay Packers. It could fall anywhere in between depending on how the higher seeds perform, with the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams also in the mix as potential opponents. The Seahawks could know their Divisional Round opponent as soon as Saturday night if the Packers upset the Bears. Otherwise, they’ll find out their opponent by the close of the 49ers-Eagles game on Sunday.

History vs. potential opponents

vs. Los Angeles Rams: 29-26 regular season, 0-2 postseason all-time — The teams split their regular season series with each team winning the home game. Both games came down the last minute, with the Rams winning 21-19 in LA and the Seahawks wining 38-37 in Seattle. The last time they faced off in the playoffs was 2021, with the Rams winning 30-20.

vs. San Francisco 49ers: 31-23 regular season, 1-1 postseason all-time — The teams split their regular season series, with each team winning the road game. The Seahawks won the Week 18 finale to clinch the NFC West and the No. 1 seed. The last time they faced off in the playoffs was 2023, with the 49ers winning 41-23.

vs. Green Bay Packers: 8-13 regular season, 1-3 postseason all-time — They last played in 2024, with the Packers winning in Seattle 30-13. Green Bay has won the last three games and six of the last seven. They’ve played four times in the playoffs, with the Packers winning the most recent in 2020.

vs. Carolina Panthers: 10-4 regular season, 2-1 postseason all-time — They faced off this season in Week 17. The Seahawks won in Charlotte 27-10. The Seahawks have won five of the past six games against Carolina. They’ve faced each other three times in the playoffs, with the Panthers winning the most recent matchup in 2016.

Seattle Seahawks playoff history

The Seahawks return to the playoffs after a two-season absence. They lost in the Wild Card round in 2022, and lost in the same round two seasons prior. The last time they played in the Divisional Round was 2019, where they won a wild card game and then lost to the Packers.

This marks the fourth time the Seahawks have earned the No. 1 seed. The previous instances were in 2005, 2013, and 2014. They reached the Super Bowl in all three of those seasons, and won it in 2013.

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Bam Adebayo punched Tyler Herro over social media criticism in Las Vegas CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 16: Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat and Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat celebrate during the second half of the 2025 SoFi Play-In Tournament against the Chicago Bulls on April 16, 2025 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images #Bam #Adebayo #punched #Tyler #Herro #social #media #criticism #Las #Vegas

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CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 16: Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat and Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat celebrate during the second half of the 2025 SoFi Play-In Tournament against the Chicago Bulls on April 16, 2025 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Lamine Yamal thinks France should be afraid of Spain, with the European giants headed to a World Cup semifinal showdown on Tuesday.

“I believe if France has to fear anyone, it should be us, in my opinion,” the teenage sensation told broadcast reporters after Spain beat Belgium 2-1 on Friday to secure its first semifinal berth since 2010. “We were the ones who knocked them out before.”

Spain beat France in the 2024 European Championship semifinals and again in the Nations League last year. Yamal became the youngest player to score in the continental competition.

The powerhouses meet again at the home stadium of the Dallas Cowboys next week for a spot in the final.

“We don’t fear anyone,” said Yamal, who was named the man of the match against Belgium. “It’s clear that we are two great teams, world-class national teams, and for me, they are one of the best. We’ll see what happens.”

Spain advanced on a winning goal by substitute Mikel Merino in the 88th minute of the quarterfinals at SoFi Stadium. La Roja conceded its only goal of the entire World Cup late in the first half against Belgium, while France has piled up 16 goals in its six World Cup matches.

France has made the past two World Cup finals, winning it all in 2018. Spain has made only one World Cup final in its history, but the current team is unbeaten in 37 consecutive competitive matches since March 2023 — a stretch that also includes a loss on penalties to Portugal in the Nations League final last year.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has been asked by the international media about this potential showdown with France throughout the tournament but particularly since the start of the knockout rounds two weeks ago. He has been uniformly complimentary of Les Bleus while echoing his own players’ confidence.

READ: Colombian football federation condemns death threats against midfielder Jaminton Campaz

“Let me be clear: We are not finished,” de la Fuente said. “We are pleased to be in the semifinals, but we want more. We are capable of winning this game, and not just now, but I would have said this a few weeks ago as well.”

Yamal, who turns 19 on Monday, has only one goal and no assists while putting 10 shots on target in his first World Cup, but his playmaking and activity down the right side of Spain’s attack have been noticeable in almost every match. He started the sequence that led to Spain’s first goal against Belgium in a two-man game with Pedro Porro, eventually leading to Fabián Ruiz’s rebound goal off Dani Olmo’s shot.

Yamal said his modest statistics don’t bother him, noting that he also scored only one goal (with four assists) while Spain won the European Championship two years ago.

Although Spain needed a late goal from Merino to win for the second straight match, Yamal believes his team is ready for the challenge of arguably the World Cup’s most dominant team so far. Yamal cited Spain’s acumen in ball possession – a stat it has repeatedly dominated during this World Cup – as a way to take France out of its preferred style of play.

“I think we were much better (than Belgium),” Yamal said. “It seems like we’re playing very beautiful football, but in reality, there isn’t a team that plays against us on equal footing. Everyone drops back, and that makes it more difficult. Nobody has gone toe-to-toe with us. But in the end, we secured the win.”

Published on Jul 11, 2026

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Lamine Yamal says France should fear Spain ahead of World Cup semifinal clash Lamine Yamal thinks France should be afraid of Spain, with the European giants headed to a World Cup semifinal showdown on Tuesday.“I believe if France has to fear anyone, it should be us, in my opinion,” the teenage sensation told broadcast reporters after Spain beat Belgium 2-1 on Friday to secure its first semifinal berth since 2010. “We were the ones who knocked them out before.”Spain beat France in the 2024 European Championship semifinals and again in the Nations League last year. Yamal became the youngest player to score in the continental competition.The powerhouses meet again at the home stadium of the Dallas Cowboys next week for a spot in the final.“We don’t fear anyone,” said Yamal, who was named the man of the match against Belgium. “It’s clear that we are two great teams, world-class national teams, and for me, they are one of the best. We’ll see what happens.”Spain advanced on a winning goal by substitute Mikel Merino in the 88th minute of the quarterfinals at SoFi Stadium. La Roja conceded its only goal of the entire World Cup late in the first half against Belgium, while France has piled up 16 goals in its six World Cup matches.France has made the past two World Cup finals, winning it all in 2018. Spain has made only one World Cup final in its history, but the current team is unbeaten in 37 consecutive competitive matches since March 2023 — a stretch that also includes a loss on penalties to Portugal in the Nations League final last year.Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has been asked by the international media about this potential showdown with France throughout the tournament but particularly since the start of the knockout rounds two weeks ago. He has been uniformly complimentary of Les Bleus while echoing his own players’ confidence.READ: Colombian football federation condemns death threats against midfielder Jaminton Campaz“Let me be clear: We are not finished,” de la Fuente said. “We are pleased to be in the semifinals, but we want more. We are capable of winning this game, and not just now, but I would have said this a few weeks ago as well.”Yamal, who turns 19 on Monday, has only one goal and no assists while putting 10 shots on target in his first World Cup, but his playmaking and activity down the right side of Spain’s attack have been noticeable in almost every match. He started the sequence that led to Spain’s first goal against Belgium in a two-man game with Pedro Porro, eventually leading to Fabián Ruiz’s rebound goal off Dani Olmo’s shot.Yamal said his modest statistics don’t bother him, noting that he also scored only one goal (with four assists) while Spain won the European Championship two years ago.Although Spain needed a late goal from Merino to win for the second straight match, Yamal believes his team is ready for the challenge of arguably the World Cup’s most dominant team so far. Yamal cited Spain’s acumen in ball possession – a stat it has repeatedly dominated during this World Cup – as a way to take France out of its preferred style of play.“I think we were much better (than Belgium),” Yamal said. “It seems like we’re playing very beautiful football, but in reality, there isn’t a team that plays against us on equal footing. Everyone drops back, and that makes it more difficult. Nobody has gone toe-to-toe with us. But in the end, we secured the win.”Published on Jul 11, 2026 #Lamine #Yamal #France #fear #Spain #ahead #World #Cup #semifinal #clash

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Lamine Yamal thinks France should be afraid of Spain, with the European giants headed to a World Cup semifinal showdown on Tuesday.
“I believe if France has to fear anyone, it should be us, in my opinion,” the teenage sensation told broadcast reporters after Spain beat Belgium 2-1 on Friday to secure its first semifinal berth since 2010. “We were the ones who knocked them out before.”
Spain beat France in the 2024 European Championship semifinals and again in the Nations League last year. Yamal became the youngest player to score in the continental competition.
The powerhouses meet again at the home stadium of the Dallas Cowboys next week for a spot in the final.
“We don’t fear anyone,” said Yamal, who was named the man of the match against Belgium. “It’s clear that we are two great teams, world-class national teams, and for me, they are one of the best. We’ll see what happens.”
Spain advanced on a winning goal by substitute Mikel Merino in the 88th minute of the quarterfinals at SoFi Stadium. La Roja conceded its only goal of the entire World Cup late in the first half against Belgium, while France has piled up 16 goals in its six World Cup matches.
France has made the past two World Cup finals, winning it all in 2018. Spain has made only one World Cup final in its history, but the current team is unbeaten in 37 consecutive competitive matches since March 2023 — a stretch that also includes a loss on penalties to Portugal in the Nations League final last year.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has been asked by the international media about this potential showdown with France throughout the tournament but particularly since the start of the knockout rounds two weeks ago. He has been uniformly complimentary of Les Bleus while echoing his own players’ confidence.
READ: Colombian football federation condemns death threats against midfielder Jaminton Campaz
“Let me be clear: We are not finished,” de la Fuente said. “We are pleased to be in the semifinals, but we want more. We are capable of winning this game, and not just now, but I would have said this a few weeks ago as well.”
Yamal, who turns 19 on Monday, has only one goal and no assists while putting 10 shots on target in his first World Cup, but his playmaking and activity down the right side of Spain’s attack have been noticeable in almost every match. He started the sequence that led to Spain’s first goal against Belgium in a two-man game with Pedro Porro, eventually leading to Fabián Ruiz’s rebound goal off Dani Olmo’s shot.
Yamal said his modest statistics don’t bother him, noting that he also scored only one goal (with four assists) while Spain won the European Championship two years ago.
Although Spain needed a late goal from Merino to win for the second straight match, Yamal believes his team is ready for the challenge of arguably the World Cup’s most dominant team so far. Yamal cited Spain’s acumen in ball possession – a stat it has repeatedly dominated during this World Cup – as a way to take France out of its preferred style of play.
“I think we were much better (than Belgium),” Yamal said. “It seems like we’re playing very beautiful football, but in reality, there isn’t a team that plays against us on equal footing. Everyone drops back, and that makes it more difficult. Nobody has gone toe-to-toe with us. But in the end, we secured the win.”
Published on Jul 11, 2026

#Lamine #Yamal #France #fear #Spain #ahead #World #Cup #semifinal #clash">Lamine Yamal says France should fear Spain ahead of World Cup semifinal clash