Melbourne beat bids from Sydney and Perth to secure the rights for the first regular-season NFL game to be held in Australia.
The NFL on Thursday morning confirmed the game will be held at the MCG in 2026 and feature the Los Angeles Rams, who will give up one of only nine home games in the 2026 season to play in Melbourne.
While their opponent and exact date of the game has not been announced, it was earlier reported the Philadelphia Eagles would also be coming Down Under.
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The game is also expected to be held in the opening week of the competition in September, potentially clashing with the AFL’s finals series.
The Rams and Eagles hold existing marketing rights in Australia under the league’s Global Markets Program.
Outside the USA, the NFL has also held regular season games in London, Munich, Frankfurt, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto.
Speaking to media including Wide World of Sports on Thursday, NFL executive vice president Peter O’Reilly said the expansion into Australia was “a big statement”.
“Probably a few years ago you might not have thought his was a reality, but the commissioner and the 32 owners share a commitment to becoming a global sport properly,” he said from New Orleans, which will host the Super Bowl on Monday morning (AEDT).
“That means expanding our footprint. That means going to different parts of the world … and we go (to Melbourne) because there’s such a strong fanbase already. This will only accelerate that.”
O’Reilly was joined in the announcement by Victorian sports minister Steve Dimopoulos, LA Rams president Kevin Demoff, and the NFL’s AUNZ boss Charlotte Offord.
O’Reilly said the NFL held discussions about taking the game to Perth and Sydney before Melbourne emerged as the preferred destination.
“Australia is fortunate to have multiple great cities, great stadia … the partnership with the people here today, the partnership with the stadium, allowed Melbourne to emerge as this first partner. And certainly there are great cities, but this is where we’ll take our first step.”
Demoff said the Rams were “the first to raise our hands and say ‘we want to play in that first game in Australia’.”
“We always view ourselves as the franchise of firsts, and to dream big, and what better opportunity to play the first regular season game in Australia in the league’s history,” he said.
“We could not be more excited.
“We’ve had so many players go to Australia and talk about how much of a meaningful experience it was to them.
“For our brand, sitting in the heart of LA … for us to go international and give up game at SoFi Stadium, it had to be a truly meaningful opportunity, and this fit the bill from the beginning.”
O’Reilly suggested the matches might not be held every year, and whether or not the Rams would be a regular feature would be decided after the first game.
“We are focused on 2026 in terms of designated team right now,” he said.
“It is a multi-year commitment, which means it’s more than the game – it’s a year-round partnership as we work with Victoria and Melbourne.
“There will be multiple games in the market. What we’ll work through as we focus on 2026 is what the right cadence is.”
The NFL’s expansion into Australia began three years ago when it opened an office, followed by an academy on the Gold Coast last year.
“Expanding to Melbourne, Australia, a beautiful city with a rich sports history, underlines our ambitions to become a global sport and accelerate international growth,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.
“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.”
Jordan Mailata, a former junior rugby league player from Sydney, will play Monday’s Super Bowl for Philadelphia.
At a Super Bowl media call earlier this week Mailata was asked about the possibility of NFL games being played in Australia.
“It’d mean everything to bring a game back home. Just for eyes and viewership,” Mailata said.
“I really want this game to grow back home, so if we can bring a game back there to generate interest and keep the growth of the game going, that’d mean a lot to me.
“The best thing about football is that you can play at any size, at any height. I’m 6 foot 8 (203cm), but there are guys on my team (who are a lot smaller).
“There are different heights and different sizes of every teammate of mine, and I think that’s what makes the sport beautiful.”