New Orleans Welcomes NFL to Australia with Groundbreaking Game in 2026

NEW ORLEANS — The NFL is making significant strides in expanding its global reach by announcing that it will host a regular-season game in Australia for the very first time in 2026. The game will take place in the vibrant city of Melbourne, and the Los Angeles Rams will be the home team.

Despite earlier speculation about the Philadelphia Eagles also joining the trip, it has been confirmed that they will not be playing in Australia. The Rams will face one of the nine teams on their home schedule for that year, which includes the Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks, Giants, Cowboys, Chiefs, Chargers, a yet-to-be-decided NFC North team, and an AFC East team. The specific opponent will be revealed at a later date.

The game will be hosted at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), renowned for its impressive capacity of over 100,000 fans. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Expanding to Melbourne, Australia, a beautiful city with a rich sports history, underlines our ambitions to become a global sport and accelerate international growth.”

Rams owner Stan Kroenke also shared his excitement about this landmark event. “When we first identified Australia as one of our global markets, it was not only because of our passionate fans who reside there but also because of the important role Los Angeles plays in serving as a gateway to Australia and many countries across the Pacific,” Kroenke said.

Even though Australia is 16 hours ahead of the eastern time zone in the U.S., the league is working through any potential challenges. NFL executive Peter O’Reilly noted that the game is expected to take place during Week 1 of the season. If scheduled for midday Melbourne time, it would occur during prime time in the United States. For instance, a kickoff at 12:30 p.m. in Melbourne could be at 8:30 p.m. ET the previous night in the U.S.

This game in 2026 marks the NFL’s second venture into Australia, following a preseason game played by the Broncos and Chargers in Sydney back in 1999. The league is also planning to bring games to Berlin and Madrid in 2025, showing an increasing interest in international expansion.

The NFL is expecting to announce more international games in the future as they continue to broaden their horizons.