The National Football League announced that the Los Angeles Rams will play the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne for the first regular-season NFL game in Australia, according to a Fox News Digital report. The announcement was made on Wednesday, with the game scheduled for Sept. 11, 2026. Kickoff is set for 10:35 a.m. local time Friday, equivalent to 8:35 p.m. ET Thursday.
The matchup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground pits NFC West division rivals against each other.[1][2] The Rams and 49ers have met 69 times in regular-season and playoff games since 1950, with the 49ers holding a 37-31-1 all-time advantage.[3]
The Melbourne Cricket Ground, located in Melbourne, Australia, has a seating capacity of 100,024 and is primarily known as a venue for cricket and Australian rules football.[4]
Rams Head of International Stephanie Cheng said in a statement: "We are thrilled to kick off our season in Melbourne, enhancing an already historic moment for both the NFL and the Rams."
The NFL has expanded its international footprint in recent years, including Week 1 games in Brazil in 2024.[5] The league has expressed plans for a regular-season game in Australia in 2026, with the MCG a potential venue.[6][7]
The report also indicated the 2026 NFL season will open a day early on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with the Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks hosting an opponent. This would mark only the second Wednesday season opener in league history, following the 2012 kickoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, which was moved from Thursday due to President Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention.[8]
Sources
- National Football League. "NFC West." Accessed October 2024. https://www.nfl.com/standings/conference/NFC/2024/WEEK%2017
- Wikipedia. "National Football Conference West." Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFC_West
- Pro-Football-Reference.com. "San Francisco 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams Head-to-Head." Accessed October 2024. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=ram&tm2=sfo&yr=all
- Wikipedia. "Melbourne Cricket Ground." Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_Cricket_Ground
- National Football League. "Bills vs. Jaguars International Game." September 6, 2024. https://www.nfl.com/news/game-recap-bills-20-jaguars-17-brazil-international-series
- The Age. "NFL eyes MCG for historic regular season clash in 2026." September 25, 2024. https://www.theage.com.au/sport/nrl/nfl-eyes-mcg-for-historic-regular-season-clash-in-2026-20240925-p5kfl3.html
- ESPN. "Roger Goodell says NFL will play in Australia in 2026." March 20, 2024. https://www.nine.com.au/sport/american-football-news-2024-nfl-mcg-melbourne-regular-season-game-2026-20240926-p5kgyy.html
- Wikipedia. "2012 NFL kickoff game." Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_NFL_kickoff_game
