Could the San Francisco 49ers be heading to Australia in 2026? The NFL recently revealed plans to expand its international presence, which includes the league's first-ever regular-season game in Melbourne, Australia, as part of a multi-year initiative. The Los Angeles Rams have been named the designated home team for the historic matchup.
Naturally, it raises the question—could the 49ers be selected as their opponent? Given that the 49ers face the Rams twice a season, it's a logical consideration. However, the NFL has been cautious about scheduling division matchups overseas, which could reduce the chances of a 49ers-Rams clash in Australia. Still, an NFC West showdown shouldn't be considered entirely off the table.
The expansion won't stop with Australia. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently shared his ambition to continue growing the league's global reach.
"Our hope would be, at some stage, to get to 16 games in the next few years," Goodell said. "We think we can do that. If I think it's an indication of the popularity of our game. Every time we take our game to a new market—Brazil's a great example of it—the fans go crazy for it. They sold out the tickets in less than 90 minutes. People had a wonderful time. It was the talk of the town."
The Australian international game will be played at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 2026. The Rams' opponent won't be revealed until closer to May 2026.
The NFL Communications team released the following statement regarding the announcement.
NEW ORLEANS — Feb. 5, 2025 — The National Football League today announced a multiyear commitment to play regular season games in Melbourne, Australia beginning in 2026 as the league continues to take international games to new markets around the world and grow the game year-round through global partners, programs and initiatives.
The NFL's first-ever regular season game in Australia will be played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 2026, with the Los Angeles Rams as the designated team.
"Expanding to Melbourne, Australia, a beautiful city with a rich sports history, underlines our ambitions to become a global sport and accelerate international growth," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "Together with the Victorian State Government, Visit Victoria and the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and with the Los Angeles Rams in 2026, we look forward to making history in what is an important market for the NFL and a significant next step in expanding our international footprint."
"We're thrilled the NFL will be touching down in the sporting capital of Australia. Victoria is now the first-ever state in Australia to host a regular season NFL game," said Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan. "It's a win for jobs, a win for businesses and a win for fans who will get to see American football played at the iconic MCG."
"NFL fans will love Melbourne's culture, food, sport and entertainment. From hidden laneways to blockbuster events, there's always something new on show," said Victoria Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the NFL to be played on the hallowed turf of the MCG."
"When we first identified Australia as one of our global markets, it was not only because of our passionate fans who reside there, but also because of the important role Los Angeles plays in serving as a gateway to Australia and many countries across the Pacific," said Los Angeles Rams Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke. "Today is an exciting day for Rams fans across the world, especially in Australia, where our players and organization have received an enthusiastic reception over the past few years when we have been in market. This is the next important step for both the Rams and the broader Kroenke Sports & Entertainment family to continue to expand our reach globally, and we are thrilled to work with Commissioner Goodell and the league office to make history and bring the first NFL regular season game to Australia."
Australia is a significant global market for the NFL with a growing fan base of 6.6 million across the country.
The Rams, alongside the Philadelphia Eagles, hold marketing rights in Australia as part of the league's Global Markets Program — an initiative that awards NFL clubs international marketing rights to build brand awareness and fandom beyond the U.S., through fan engagement, events and commercial opportunities. Since being awarded those rights, the Rams have expanded their presence in Australia through partnerships and key player initiatives.
The Rams' opponent, along with game date and kickoff time, will be announced at a later date.
Fans can register to receive information on the 2026 NFL Melbourne game here: nfl.com/Melbourne
The NFL is committed to investing in the development of the game year-round across the continent and across the Asia-Pacific region. The NFL opened its Australia and New Zealand office in 2022 on Australia's Gold Coast, established an NFL Flag football program in 2022 and officially launched the NFL Academy APAC in 2024.
NFL Flag — the NFL's official program for non-contact football — is widespread across the continent. Flag football is played across all states in Australia, in more than 300 schools, with some of those teams competing in regional NFL Flag tournaments and in international NFL Flag tournaments in the U.S. In partnership with the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), the league continues to showcase efforts to increase participation and inspire the next generation as flag football heads toward its debut on the 2028 LA Olympic Games program.
The recently opened NFL Academy on Australia's Gold Coast is operated in partnership with A.B. Paterson College to service young athletes (12-18 years-old) across the Asia-Pacific region. The NFL Academy is a major global initiative by the NFL offering talented student athletes the opportunity to combine full-time education alongside intensive training in American football (tackle) — under the guidance of a world class coaching staff. The program is also central to continuing the growth of flag football in the region for men, women and young athletes.
In 1999, as part of the NFL's American Bowl series of international preseason games, the league touched down on the continent with a game between the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers in Sydney. The NFL Melbourne game is the first game to be announced for the 2026 season.
Fifty-five regular season NFL games have been played around the world throughout the league's history, with London, Munich, Frankfurt, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto all hosting games to date.
The NFL can now schedule up to eight league-operated international regular season games per season.
In 2025, the NFL has confirmed games in London, Berlin and Madrid as part of the international games slate to date.
