The NFL’s international growth has continued with Australia being confirmed as the sixth overseas country to be awarded a regular-season game.
The league had carried out site visits to Melbourne and Sydney to explore the viability of playing in Australia.
And the Melbourne Cricket Ground was selected to host the first game in the Asia-Pacific region during the 2026 season.
The Los Angeles Rams will be the designated ‘home’ team for the first game of a multi-year commitment at the MCG, which has a capacity of about 100,000.
“We want to grow our game in all parts of the world,” said NFL executive vice-president Peter O’Reilly.
“International games are one of the most impactful elements of our global strategy.
“We’ve seen that in recent years. The games really serve as a catalyst for growing the game at every level and year round.”
The NFL has rapidly been expanding its global reach in recent years, playing its first game in South America this season, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
O’Reilly said the Melbourne game would “likely” be scheduled for week one of the 2026 season – like the Brazil game was – making it easier for teams to acclimatise.
The Melbourne announcement was made in New Orleans during Super Bowl week, with further news expected on next season’s international games.
So far five have been confirmed, with Madrid and Berlin set to host their first games in 2025, with three again being played in London.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had previously said the league were “shooting for” eight international games in 2025.
He “expects” to return to Brazil, while a first game in Ireland is “a possibility”, and the NFL is in discussions over when it can return to Mexico following renovations to the Azteca Stadium.
