The NFL has locked in a multiyear commitment to host regular season games in Melbourne, marking a historic expansion into Australia’s sporting capital from 2026.
The league’s first-ever Australian regular season clash will take place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), with the Los Angeles Rams named as the designated team.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called the move a significant step in the league’s global expansion, saying, “Expanding to Melbourne, a city with a rich sports history, underscores our ambitions to become a truly global sport.”
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan hailed the announcement as a win for fans, jobs, and businesses, with Tourism Minister Steve Dimopoulos promising visitors will experience “Melbourne’s unmatched culture, food, and entertainment scene.”
“Melbourne will become the only city in the world that will host an international tennis grand slam (tournament), a Formula One Grand Prix and now an NFL regular-season game,” Ms Allan said.
Los Angeles Rams owner E. Stanley Kroenke said the team’s deep ties to Australia and the Pacific made them the ideal choice to headline the NFL’s Australian debut, calling it an exciting new chapter for both the Rams and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment.
Australia is an emerging powerhouse for the NFL, with a rapidly growing fan base now reaching 6.6 million nationwide.