NEW YORK – The historic matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is now confirmed for September 11. This game marks the first-ever NFL regular-season game in Australia and is a centerpiece of the league’s massive 2026 international expansion.
“We are thrilled to be able to confirm the time and date… a match-up that has created plenty of hype and excitement,” said NFL Australia & New Zealand General Manager Charlotte Offord. “We know that there is already plenty of appetite for this game, both in Australia and internationally.”
While the 2026 Rams vs. 49ers game is the first-ever regular-season game in Australia, it isn’t the first time NFL teams have played on Australian soil.
The 1999 American Bowl: On August 7, 1999, the Denver Broncos played the San Diego Chargers in a preseason game at Stadium Australia (now Accor Stadium) in Sydney.
The Broncos won 20–17 in front of 73,811 fans, which remains the attendance record for American football in the Southern Hemisphere.
The game was largely a showcase for Darren Bennett, the legendary Australian punter for the Chargers who pioneered the “Aussie style” of punting in the NFL.
Wartime “Gridiron”: During World War II (1942–1944), US servicemen played high-profile exhibition games in Adelaide, Sydney, and Brisbane to maintain morale. One Independence Day game in 1942 drew a crowd of 25,000.
Early Roots (1900s): Surprisingly, a game was played at the MCG in 1908 between teams named “Minnesota” and “Kentucky” (composed of US Navy sailors). It was poorly received by the local press, who called it a “scramble.”
💡 Did You Know?
Global Business: Four NFL teams currently have “Global Market Program” rights in Australia and New Zealand: the Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, and Las Vegas Raiders. The gam is the Rams essentially “claiming” Australia as their home territory abroad.
American Football In The Pacific: The NFL’s footprint in the Pacific has mostly been centered on Japan and Hawaii.
The American Bowl in Japan: Between 1989 and 2005, the NFL played 13 preseason games in Tokyo. Japan was the primary focus for Pacific expansion for decades before the league pivoted toward London and Mexico City.
The Pro Bowl in Hawaii: For most of its history (from 1980 to 2016), the NFL’s All-Star game, the Pro Bowl, was held at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. This was the league’s most consistent presence in the Pacific for over 30 years.
College Football (The Sydney Cup): College teams have also crossed the pond. Most notably, in 2016, the University of California (Cal) played Hawaii at ANZ Stadium in Sydney to kick off the college season.
🏈 Game Details: Rams vs. 49ers
Date (Australia): Friday, September 11, 2026
Time (Australia): Approximately 10:35 a.m. AEST
US Broadcast (Date/Time): Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 8:35 p.m. ET / 5:35 p.m. PT. The game will air in a “Thursday Night Football” primetime slot in the U.S.
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne, VIC.
Significance: Part of a record nine international games in 2026 across four continents. The 2026 season officially kicks off on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with the Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks.