The National Football League has announced that the San Francisco 49ers will play the Los Angeles Rams in the historic first-ever regular-season game in Melbourne, Australia. The teams will meet at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), in partnership with the Victorian State Government and Visit Victoria.
The game in Melbourne will be part of an NFL record nine international games in 2026 across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums.
“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,” said NFL Australia & New Zealand general manager Charlotte Offord. “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 is a terrific opportunity to continue to support the league in its mission to grow the game of football,” said Al Guido, CEO of the 49ers. “We look forward to working with the NFL to benefit local Australian communities through sport.”
“As we make history with the NFL and bring the first regular season game to Australia, we are pleased to take our annual match-up against our NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers to the MCG,” said Los Angeles Rams president Kevin Demoff. “Since we first secured marketing rights to the country in 2021 and more recently since the announcement of this game last year, we have seen tremendous excitement for our team from fans both in Australia and also across the world. We look forward to spending this offseason continuing to deepen our connection with the Melbourne community leading up to the game this fall.”
Further details including date, kickoff time and ticket information will be announced at a later date. Fans interested in the 2026 game in Melbourne should visit nfl.com/Melbourne to stay updated on all the latest news and information.
“Bringing the NFL to the MCG is a huge win both on and off the field — and hosting a team like the San Francisco 49ers will make it even better,” said Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan. “We can’t wait to welcome these two great teams to Melbourne and showcase the best of our city and our state.”
“This event will shine an international spotlight on Melbourne bringing even more visitors from across the globe,” said Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos. “We’re already seeing year-round benefits thanks to our major marketing campaigns that are exposing American audiences to the best of Victoria, and having the 49ers will only add to the interest.”
