49ers, Rams to Make NFL History with First-Ever Regular Season Game in Australia
The San Francisco 49ers are packing their bags - and their passports - for a groundbreaking trip that’ll take them halfway around the world and straight into the history books.
The NFL announced that the 49ers and their NFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Rams, will face off next fall in Melbourne, Australia, marking the league’s first-ever regular season game played on Australian soil. The game will take place at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the Rams designated as the home team.
While the official date and kickoff time haven’t been locked in just yet, there’s a strong chance this matchup opens the 2026 regular season. That would follow the precedent set by the NFL’s recent ventures into the Southern Hemisphere - both games in Brazil over the past two years were Week 1 openers.
One thing’s for sure: with a 19-hour time difference between Melbourne and the U.S. West Coast, fans on both sides of the Pacific will need to adjust their schedules.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell didn’t mince words when discussing the significance of the move.
“Expanding to Melbourne, Australia, a beautiful city with a rich sports history, underlines our ambitions to become a global sport and accelerate international growth,” Goodell said. “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.”
For the 49ers, this marks their latest venture into international territory - and it’s been a while. Their last overseas game came in November 2022, when they rolled to a 38-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Before that? A dominant showing against the Jaguars in London back in 2013.
So yes, this team knows how to travel - and how to win when they do.
The NFL’s global push is only ramping up. The league plans to stage nine international games in 2026, with contests slated for London (three games), Rio de Janeiro, Munich, and Madrid, in addition to Melbourne. It’s a clear sign that the NFL isn’t just dipping its toes into international waters - it’s diving in headfirst.
And while the travel logistics for the teams won’t be easy - we’re talking 16-hour flights each way - the opportunity to play in front of a new, passionate fanbase in a sports-mad city like Melbourne is something players and coaches will remember for a long time.
So get ready, Australia. The 49ers and Rams are bringing the NFL down under - and history is coming with them.