NFL to play 2026 regular-season game in Melbourne, Australia / Photo: Chris Graythen - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
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NFL to play 2026 regular-season game in Melbourne, Australia
The NFL will stage its first ever regular-season game in Australia in the 2026 season with the Melbourne Cricket Ground hosting the contest, the league announced on Wednesday.
Peter O'Reilly, head of NFL International, said the designated team in that game would be the Los Angeles Rams.
The game at the 100,000-capacity MCG will be part of a "multi-year" arrangement as the league continues its global expansion.
The NFL has already played regular-season games in London, Munich, Frankfurt, Sao Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto.
The NFL can now schedule up to eight league-operated international regular-season games per season.
In 2025, the NFL has confirmed games in London, Berlin and Madrid as part of the international games slate
"Expanding to Melbourne, Australia, a beautiful city with a rich sports history, underlines our ambitions to become a global sport and accelerate international growth," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement.
"Together with the Victorian State Government, Visit Victoria and the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and with the Los Angeles Rams in 2026, we look forward to making history in what is an important market for the NFL and a significant next step in expanding our international footprint."
Australia has a player featuring in Sunday's Super Bowl in the form of Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata.
"We're thrilled the NFL will be touching down in the sporting capital of Australia. Victoria is now the first-ever state in Australia to host a regular season NFL game," said Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan in the league statement.
"It's a win for jobs, a win for businesses and a win for fans who will get to see American football played at the iconic MCG."
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