The NFL has announced a regular-season game between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, marking the league's first in the country.[1][2]
The game will take place on Friday, September 11, 2026, at 10:35 a.m. AEST (7:35 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 10) at Marvel Stadium, timed to align with a U.S. primetime Thursday night broadcast slot.[1][2]
This contest will kick off the NFL's international schedule for the 2026 season, part of an expansion targeting a record nine games annually across multiple countries.[1][3] The league has hosted regular-season games in nine countries to date, beginning with the New York Giants' 13-10 win over the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium in London on October 28, 2007.[4]
The Rams and 49ers are longtime NFC West division rivals who have met twice annually since realignment in 2002. The 49ers hold a 37-31-1 all-time edge in the series.[5]
Marvel Stadium, a 53,359-capacity multi-purpose venue in Melbourne's Docklands area, primarily hosts Australian rules football and cricket events.[6]
The NFL's global push coincides with the growth of flag football, set to debut as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The International Federation of American Football reports millions of participants worldwide, including over 2 million registered youth players in the United States.[7][8]
Sources
- NFL.com
Article title: Rams-49ers to play NFL’s first regular-season game Down Under at Marvel Stadium in 2026
Publication date: October 15, 2024
https://www.nfl.com/news/rams-49ers-to-play-nfl-s-first-regular-season-game-down-under-at-marvel-stadium-in-2026 - ESPN
Article title: Rams-49ers to play in first NFL regular-season game in Australia
Publication date: October 15, 2024
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/41982287/rams-49ers-play-first-nfl-regular-season-game-australia - Reuters
Article title: NFL targets up to nine international games next season
Publication date: March 19, 2024
https://www.reuters.com/sports/nfl-targets-up-nine-international-games-next-season-2024-03-19/ - NFL.com (official match report)
Article title: Giants edge Dolphins in first NFL regular-season game played outside North America
Accessed date: October 2024
https://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/dol_20071028_gia@lon#boxscore - Pro-Football-Reference.com
Page title: San Francisco 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams Head-to-Head
Accessed date: October 2024
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?head_to_head=SF-LAR - Australia.com / Wikipedia (encyclopedic)
Page title: Marvel Stadium
Accessed date: October 2024
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Stadium - International Federation of American Football (IFAF)
Page title: About Flag Football
Accessed date: October 2024
https://www.ifaf.org/flag-football/ - USA Football
Article title: Flag Football Participation Numbers
Publication date: 2023
https://www.usfootball.com/flag-football/participation
