NEW ORLEANS — The NFL is officially headed Down Under. The league is putting a regular-season game in Australia for the first time and that will take place in 2026.
The Los Angeles Rams will serve as the home team for the historical game, which will be played in Melbourne. Although there were reports that the Philadelphia Eagles would also be playing in Australia, that won’t be the case. With the Rams serving as the home team, that means that their opponent will be one of the nine teams they’re scheduled to play at home in 2026 (Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks, Giants, Cowboys, Chiefs, Chargers, TBD NFC North team, TBD AFC East team). The opponent will be announced at a later date.
The game will be played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which has a capacity of just over 100,000 fans.
“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 said 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.”