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April 10, 2026 \u2014 4:28pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Key pointsThe LA Rams and San Francisco 49ers will open their NFL season at the MCG on September 11.NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was in town to promote the game on Friday.Tickets for the game were snapped up quickly when they went on sale earlier this week.Goodell said the huge interest meant the league would be coming back for more games in the future.<\/p>\n The NFL has forecast playing more games in Australia after ticket sales for the historic season opener to be played at the MCG later this year went global.<\/p>\n NFL commissioner Roger Goodell visited Melbourne on Friday and revealed that fans from 35 countries as well as Australia joined online queues to snap up 42,000 public tickets on Wednesday morning in a matter of minutes.<\/p>\n Goodell also revealed the NFL\u2019s popularity had jumped 50 per cent in Australia in the past two years as the code prepares to stage a blockbuster event in the AFL\u2019s heartland in the middle of an AFL finals\u2019 series.<\/p>\n In an expansive press conference at the MCG, Goodell admitted that setting ticket prices for the match was \u201cchallenging\u201d, he dismissed criticism from the San Francisco 49ers coach that flying to Australia to play a live match was an issue, and he committed to providing Australian schools with equipment for a non-contact version of NFL called flag football.<\/p>\n Goodell also assured fans that the NFL would provide blockbuster half-time entertainment for the MCG clash between the LA Rams and San Francisco 49ers.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cI think it\u2019s part of our event to have entertainment,\u201d he said. \u201cWe come with a show. It\u2019s not just a football game.\u201d<\/p>\n The NFL revealed that 50 per cent of tickets sold in Australia on Wednesday were snapped up by people living outside of Victoria.<\/p>\n Pre-sale tickets for MCC members and American Express card users<\/a> for the game went on sale last week and also sold out quickly.<\/p>\n The MCC has committed to providing 100,024 seats.<\/p>\n Frustrated fans said they experienced long waits on Wednesday without being able to secure a ticket, while others complained of sky-high pricing. The cheapest tickets were $95 for standing room.<\/p>\n \u201cI never doubted that the fans here were going to eat those tickets up really quickly,\u201d Goodell said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou try to price it to make it available to most, but that\u2019s also why we bring the game along with other events; so that others can participate.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of the events we\u2019ll have around the game will make people feel part of it, a sense of pride, hopefully, in what\u2019s going on here. And most of those events are free.\u201d<\/p>\n Goodell said the NFL had not yet committed to a follow-up game in Australia next year, but \u201cthere\u2019s no question that we\u2019re going to be playing here again\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cOur view is that we\u2019re coming here for the long term. We don\u2019t come as a one-off. This isn\u2019t a circus,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is something that\u2019s an investment in this market, and we believe that this is long term and will be great for the NFL long term.\u201d<\/p>\n MCC chief executive officer Stuart Fox said construction had already begun in the bowels of the iconic stadium to accommodate the Rams and 49ers on September 11.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve actually got construction works on down in the change rooms at the moment, getting ready for the game,\u201d Fox said.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t give too much away, other than it\u2019s a huge overlay … making sure the players and the support staff are looked after is one of our greatest priorities.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, the change rooms and the amenities are a little different because there are so many players in a team, and then there\u2019s the support staff, so it\u2019s a big show.\u201d<\/p>\n Fox joked that he wanted Taylor Swift for the half-time entertainment.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cI would have Taylor back,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd maybe she could stay on for another five or six shows. It\u2019d be good for our state. I\u2019m not asking for much.\u201d<\/p>\n But Goodell remained tight-lipped about potential acts.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think I am going to tell you that?\u201d he said. \u201cI think you\u2019ll find it attractive. We\u2019ve got a lot of great possibilities.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got a few more suggestions this morning. The premier [Jacinta Allan] had a few. So I think we\u2019ll do a great job of entertaining everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n Goodell said the NFL wanted to leave a lasting legacy in Australia to reward his sport\u2019s growing fan base.<\/p>\n \u201cWe made an announcement yesterday that we are going to provide flag football kits to every school,\u201d he said of the code\u2019s non-contact version that has already become a sporting option in NSW schools.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully, that will all be done here in Victoria by the start of this game, on September 11. It is just another way that we want to engage our fans to make sure that people here experience us.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite encroaching on the AFL\u2019s finals series, Goodell said the NFL had enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Australian football code.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve been great partners,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve worked hard to get the scheduling right, and they could not have been more hospitable.\u201d<\/p>\n The NFL boss flew to Australia earlier this week, visiting Brisbane to promote flag football for the 2032 Olympics.<\/p>\n He dismissed 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan\u2019s concerns about a long-haul flight<\/a> to Melbourne to start their season.<\/p>\n \u201cI have an app for him, which I\u2019m going to send to him because my wife hooked me up with an app, and I\u2019ve got to tell you, I feel great. I have not felt any jet lag at all,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Related Article Goodell also visited an NFL academy on the Gold Coast and predicted more Australians would follow in the footsteps of this country\u2019s recent Super Bowl winners Michael Dickson (Seattle Seahawks) and Jordan Mailata (Philadelphia Eagles).<\/p>\n Premier Jacinta Allan joined Goodell for the MCG press conference, saying the September 11 match would attract tens of millions of eyeballs across the globe.<\/p>\n But she ignored a reference to NSW Premier Chris Minns\u2019 suggestion that it would cost a state about $15 million to win the rights to host an NFL match.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is going to be a historic event,\u201d Allan said. \u201cWe are the only city on the planet to have a tennis grand slam event, a Formula One grand prix and now an NFL regular season home game.\u201d<\/p>\n News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"NFL](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/443e93b6225cbe3b6bd951dc8845ca2841635574.jpeg\")
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell checks out the MCG ahead of the game in September.Simon Schluter<\/p>\n![\"Ready](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775805971_547_7ebefe1b018a3445d4ca6ef7e0290f148bd6f2c4.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"LA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/c1c0093b80b75125d3d200fcfc65cfbd215851c7.jpeg\")
LA Rams enforcer Kevin Dotson was in Melbourne last month to promote the game at the MCG later this year.<\/p>\n![\"49ers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/a1d77b37b88ca4514dc15e9a561038fc2194891a.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Victorian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3cb59efccf49f4d72d7401ab0327f2d4d8036838.jpeg\")
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan gives gridiron a go at the MCG while MCC chief Stuart Fox, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos talk up the game.Simon Schluter<\/p>\n![\"Australian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/c67475944bcc536e9d301ba4d339afe99cb2925e.jpeg\")
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