- The NFL will host its first-ever regular-season game in Australia, with the Los Angeles Rams set to host the San Francisco 49ers at the MCG
- The historic NFC West rivalry dates back to 1950, bringing one of the NFL’s oldest and most intense matchups to Australian shores.
- The game forms part of a multi-year deal through to 2027, cementing Melbourne’s status as Australia’s sporting capital.
It’s long-been rumoured, teased, and, frankly, willed into existence by the insatiable (American) Football fans in this part of the world, but it’s finally been confirmed: the NFL is set to host its first-ever league game in Australia. And there’ll be no prizes for guessing where.
Later this year, the Los Angeles Rams will “host” the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in a clash between two historic NFC West rivals, whose rivalry dates back to 1950 and remains one of the NFL’s oldest and most intense in history.
The marquee fixture comes as part of a wider commitment between the NFL and NFL Australia, announcing a multi-year deal running through to 2027 to hold a series of official league games down under and further strengthen the estimated 7.5-million-strong fan base that’s been less-than quietly growing in Australia for the last few years.
“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.”
It’s no surprise Melbourne has been carefully selected for this momentous occasion: the Victorian capital is already the sporting hub of Australia, hosting the Australian Open, the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, the AFL Grand Final, the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, the Melbourne Cup and Spring Racing Carnival, and major annual events such as the Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival.
With 62 regular-season NFL games played outside the US in recent years with London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Munich’s FC Bayern Munich Arena, and Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, among the league’s emerging host cities, the ‘G will be counted in esteemed company once the footy action rolls around to Yarra Park later this year.
In the global sporting stakes, it’s fair to say Melbourne continues to rack up wins against its local competition.
