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- Melbourne’s MCG will host an NFL game in 2026 between the Rams and an unnamed team.
- NFL aims to grow its 6.6 million Australian fan base through international games
- Rams and Eagles hold marketing rights in Australia under the NFL’s Global Markets Program
- Australian-born NFL star, Jordan Mailata, Eagles OT, will play in Super Bowl LIX
- Melbourne joins cities like London, Munich, and São Paulo in hosting regular-season NFL games
Melbourne will host an NFL regular season game between the Los Angeles Rams and a yet-to-be-named team at Australia’s biggest stadium, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), in 2026. It will join only a handful of international cities, including London, Berlin, and Madrid to host a regular season NFL game.
Like the NRL, the NFL hopes to grow the sport Downunder. Currently, they estimate their fan base to be around 6.6 million people, but hosting these games will only continue to grow the game in global markets. At least, that’s the plan according to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “Expanding to Melbourne, Australia, a beautiful city with a rich sports history, underlines our ambitions to become a global sport and accelerate international growth,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “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.”
The Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles are the two NFL teams that currently hold marketing rights in Australia as part of the league’s Global Markets Program. While dates, times, and the opponent have yet to be announced for the contest, the only unnamed team on the Rams future opponents list is from the NFC South, so it’s likely to be either the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, or Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The announcement arrives days before Super Bowl LIX kicks off between Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles on Monday, February 10th, at 10:30 a.m. AEST.
One of Australia’s highest-paid athletes, Jordan Mailata, who played junior rugby league in Sydney, was drafted in the 7th round of the 2018 NFL Draft and will play in Monday’s Super Bowl for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Unlike Jarrod Hayne, who spent most of his time as a punt returner, Mailata is an offensive tackle (primarily left tackle), who plays a key role in every offensive possession for the Eagles. It’s his job to drive defenders off the line and protect the quarterback from being blindsided. He has one of the most important jobs on the field, and he’s been handsomely compensated for his skillset, signing a 3-year deal worth $66,000,000 last year.
Last week, Mailata was asked about the possibility of NFL games being played in Australia. “It’d mean everything to bring a game back home. Just for eyes and viewership,” he said. “I really want this game to grow back home, so if we can bring a game back there to generate interest and keep the growth of the game going, that’d mean a lot to me.”
His wish, and those of NFL fans around the country, has been granted and Melbourne will join a shortlist of international cities to host a regular season NFL game in the past, including:
- Mexico City, 2005
- London, 2007
- Toron, 2008
- Munich, 2022
- Frankfurt, 2023,
- Sao Paulo, 2024
- London, 2025
- Berlin, 2025
- Madrid, 2025
- Melbourne, 2026
Those with a good memory might remember the time Sydney hosted an NFL pre-season game between the Denver Broncos and the San Diego Chargers back in 1999. However, this will be the first time the NFL has played a regular season game on Australian soil. Fifty-five regular season NFL games have been played around the world throughout the league’s history.
As the NFL continues to grow in popularity in Australia, the NFL opened its Australia and New Zealand office on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2022, and in the same year, it established an NFL Flag football program. Last year, it officially launched the NFL Academy APAC.
The NFL can now schedule up to eight league-operated international regular season games per season, so there’s a chance that Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth could be in play in the future. For now, we look forward to more details emerging about the upcoming NFL game to be played in Melbourne, Australia. You can register your interest at the website linked below.
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