This time last year, the LA Rams announced that the MCG was their Aussie home-away-from-home. We now know they will take on rivals, the 49ers, in what is shaping up to be a controversial NFL season-opening match.
So far this year, Sydney-born Seahawks sensation Michael Dickson’s six punts during Seattle’s Super Bowl win are the closest an Aussie has come to NFL glory.
Come the second half of 2026, however, the MCG will bring NFL fans together with ‘The Duke’ football and players from the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers, to witness the first official NFL game in Australian history.
“As we continue our preparations for the NFL’s first-ever regular season game at the MCG in Melbourne, we are delighted that the San Francisco 49ers will take on the Los Angeles Rams,” says Charlotte Offord, NFL Australia & New Zealand’s general manager.
“The 49ers are a popular franchise within the Australian market, and this rivalry game solidifies what we know is going to be an incredible NFL experience for our fans down under.”
This first-of-its-kind experience will see the Rams claim the 100,000-seater MCG as their ‘home turf,’ hosting the 49ers in what LA Rams president Kevin Demoff says could be the very first game of the 2026 season.
“What a great way to kick off the season and hopefully we’ll treat Australia to a show with the Rams winning at the end,” Demoff told Forbes on Super Bowl Sunday.
“Every year over the past few years, Rams-Niners has been a primetime game – a great rivalry. Two West Coast teams and cities that Australian fans know well, and a rivalry to kick off the NFL season, likely in week one.”
In January, the San Francisco 49ers President, Al Guido, was promoted to the CEO role, taking over from the team owner’s son, Jed York. Guido made a statement on the Melbourne game as one of his first announcements as CEO.
“This is a terrific opportunity to continue to support the league in its mission to grow the game of football,” Guido says in a statement. “We look forward to working with the NFL to benefit local Australian communities through sport.”
The game comes at a time when the NFL is looking to further expand its fan base outside of the US. The league opened an Australian office on the Gold Coast four years ago, and in 2024 launched the APAC NFL Academy to cultivate American football talent on our shores.
There are currently 7.5 million fans in Australia, according to the organisation, a number it hopes to grow in the coming years through the non-contact ‘Flag Football’ version of the game, which will debut at the LA Olympics in 2028.
Four years later, it is hoped the game will continue to take root downunder, and will be played at the Brisbane ’32 Olympic Games.
“NFL Flag is played across all states and territories in Australia, with almost 100,000 participants currently playing the game across more than 500 schools,” the NFL states.
The 12,000-kilometre controversy
The Rams-Niners matchup will be one of nine international games in the upcoming NFL season. While management of the California-based clubs have issued positive statements about the game, players have expressed concern about the travel time and distance of international games.
“Honestly, if we’re going to play in Australia or any international game, I would prefer it to be the first game of the season, because you have a lot more time to acclimate, there’s more rest time as far as travelling,” 49ers offensive player Kyle Juszczyk told media this week.
“Whereas if you’re doing it midseason, that throws off your whole schedule, including rest, recovery and practice schedule. If we’re going to do it, let’s do it Week 1.”
The travel distance is something the Rams CEO feels can be mitigated by making the game the season opener.
“What’s unique about Australia is the length of the trip, right? And so I think for us, proving that it can be done and be done well, that the athletes can play well, that they can recover, is going to be huge,” Demoff tells Forbes.
Closer to home, Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements said the game could bring a significant economic windfall to the state.
“Securing Australia’s first-ever NFL game is a powerful way to create global demand for Victoria, convert that interest into visitation and connect fans with everything our State has to offer,” says Clements.
It is a sentiment reiterated by Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allen.
“Melbourne is now the only city in the world to host an international Grand Slam, a Formula One Grand Prix and an NFL Regular Season game,” Allen noted in a statement.
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