Border Battle
Vikings vs Packers
The NFC North's border rivalry, played every season since 1961
Minnesota and Green Bay have shared a state line and a division for the Vikings' entire existence, and they have played every single season since Minnesota's first NFL season in 1961. This hub tracks both 2026 meetings with the correct home team for each, the all-time series record, the latest completed game and the players carrying the rivalry forward.
View full scheduleSeries overview
Why it's called the Border Battle
Minnesota and Wisconsin share roughly 250 miles of border, and the Vikings and Packers have represented the two sides of it in the NFC North since the division's modern alignment took shape. Unlike some rivalries built around one unforgettable game, the Border Battle is defined by its permanence: the two teams have met every season without exception since 1961, twice a year, home and away.
Because it is a division series, one meeting is always played at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and the other at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The two sections below spell out exactly which team hosts which 2026 game, and the historical section further down covers the two completed 2025 meetings, the all-time series record and a handful of the games that have defined the rivalry.
The 2026 Meetings
Both legs of the 2026 series are on the officially released NFL schedule. Minnesota won the first meeting 39-22 at home on September 13 to open the season 1-0; Green Bay hosts the return game in Week 10.
MinnesotaVikings
Green BayPackers
Minnesota opened the 2026 season with a 39-22 home win, broadcast on CBS. See the Week 1 recap and box score.
Week 1 recap
MinnesotaVikings
Green BayPackers
Broadcast on FOX. See the viewing guide for streaming options.
Viewing guide
Vikings
39
Packers
22
Sunday, September 13, 2026 · U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis (Vikings home game) · Minnesota opened the 2026 regular season with the win. The previous meeting, a 16-3 Vikings win on January 4, 2026, is archived with full stats under Rivalry History below.
View the Week 1 recap and box scoreGreen Bay leads 67-62-3 all-time and 66-61-3 in the regular season alone. The two playoff meetings are split 1-1: Minnesota won 31-17 on January 9, 2005, and Green Bay won 24-10 on January 5, 2013, both at Lambeau Field.
Rivalry History
Every season since 1961 has included a Vikings-Packers game at each stadium. Full player stats from both completed 2025 meetings are archived on this site.
The 2025 series split 1-1, with each team winning on its own field, in the order the archived recaps below are listed.
Packers 23, Vikings 6
Played Sunday, November 23, 2025 at Lambeau Field, Green Bay. Full passing, rushing, receiving and defensive stats for both teams.
View Week 12 statsVikings 16, Packers 3
Played Sunday, January 4, 2026 at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, the final week of the 2025 regular season. Full passing, rushing, receiving and defensive stats for both teams.
View Week 18 statsNotable games in the rivalry
| Date | Location | Result | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 9, 2005 | Lambeau Field | Vikings 31, Packers 17 | NFC Wild Card. Randy Moss's mock-mooning celebration after a touchdown catch made this one of the most talked-about games in the series. |
| Nov 2, 2003 | Metrodome, Minneapolis | Packers 30, Vikings 27 | Brett Favre threw a fourth-quarter go-ahead touchdown pass to Javon Walker to beat Minnesota. |
| Nov 1, 2009 | Lambeau Field | Vikings 38, Packers 26 | Brett Favre's first game back at Lambeau Field after leaving Green Bay, throwing four touchdown passes for Minnesota. |
| Jan 5, 2013 | Lambeau Field | Packers 24, Vikings 10 | NFC Wild Card. Adrian Peterson had just finished the regular season with 2,097 rushing yards, nine short of the all-time record, but Minnesota's season ended in Green Bay. |
| Nov 23, 2025 | Lambeau Field | Packers 23, Vikings 6 | Regular season, Week 12. |
| Jan 4, 2026 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Vikings 16, Packers 3 | Regular season finale, Week 18. |
| Sep 13, 2026 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Vikings 39, Packers 22 | 2026 season opener, Week 1. Most recent meeting in the series. |
Not an exhaustive list of all 132 meetings. All-time series figures reflect the combined regular-season and postseason record through the September 13, 2026 game.
Key Players
Players to watch on both sides heading into the 2026 meetings.
Vikings
Quarterback
Minnesota's starting quarterback threw for 182 yards without a turnover to beat Green Bay in the 2025 finale, a marked improvement over the interception-heavy Week 12 loss at Lambeau.
Running Back
Spent his first six NFL seasons in Green Bay before joining Minnesota, giving him a personal stake in the Border Battle every time the Vikings face his former team.
Safety
Now in his 14th season, Smith has started against Green Bay more than any other active Viking and anchors a defense that has faced the Packers twice a year throughout his career.
Packers
Jordan Love
Quarterback
Green Bay's starting quarterback threw for 139 yards without a turnover in the Week 12 win over Minnesota at Lambeau Field.
Micah Parsons
Edge Rusher
Acquired in a blockbuster trade from Dallas, Parsons gives Green Bay's pass rush a game-wrecking presence Minnesota's offensive line has to account for on every snap.
Christian Watson
Wide Receiver
Green Bay's deep-threat receiver, who led the Packers with 49 receiving yards in the Week 12 meeting against Minnesota's secondary.
The Stadiums
A modern indoor building against the NFL's most storied outdoor venue — the two stadiums are as different as the rivalry is old.
U.S. Bank Stadium
Minneapolis, MN
- Capacity66,860 (expandable to 73,000)
- SurfaceArtificial turf
- Opened2016
Lambeau Field
Green Bay, WI
- Capacity81,441
- SurfaceHybrid natural grass
- Opened1957
Packers Viewing Guide
Where to watch both 2026 Vikings vs Packers games, with TV channels and streaming options for the home and away legs.
View guidePackers Tickets Guide
Tips for buying tickets to the U.S. Bank Stadium meeting, seating information and what to know before kickoff.
View tickets guideRelated Coverage
More Vikings vs Packers and NFC North coverage on this site.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do the Vikings play the Packers in 2026?
Twice. Minnesota beat Green Bay 39-22 at U.S. Bank Stadium in the 2026 season opener on Sunday, September 13, 2026. The return game is at Lambeau Field in Week 10, Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. CST on FOX.
Who leads the Vikings vs Packers all-time series?
Green Bay leads 67-62-3 across 132 meetings since 1961, including a 66-61-3 regular-season record. The two playoff meetings are split 1-1.
Who won the last Vikings vs Packers game?
The Minnesota Vikings won 39-22 at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, September 13, 2026, in Week 1 of the 2026 season.
Which team hosted each 2025 meeting?
Green Bay hosted Week 12 at Lambeau Field on November 23, 2025 and won 23-6. Minnesota hosted Week 18 at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 4, 2026 and won 16-3.
Why is it called the Border Battle?
Minnesota and Wisconsin share a state border, and the Vikings and Packers have played every season since Minnesota's first NFL season in 1961, making it one of the NFC North's oldest and most consistently played rivalries.
Have the Vikings and Packers met in the playoffs?
Yes, twice. Minnesota won 31-17 at Lambeau Field on January 9, 2005 (an NFC Wild Card game remembered for Randy Moss's mock-mooning celebration), and Green Bay won 24-10 at Lambeau Field on January 5, 2013, also an NFC Wild Card game.
Sources used on this page:
- Week 12, 2025 game stats, minnesotavikings.io
- Week 18, 2025 game stats, minnesotavikings.io
- Week 1, 2026 recap and box score, minnesotavikings.io
- 2026 regular season schedule, minnesotavikings.io
- All-time head-to-head record, Champs or Chumps
- Brett Favre career history, Wikipedia
- 2009 Minnesota Vikings season, Wikipedia
- U.S. Bank Stadium, Wikipedia
- Lambeau Field, Wikipedia