New Orleans (AFP) – 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, stated that the designated team for the 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. O’Reilly indicated that the game could be played in Week One to allow teams plenty of time to acclimatize after the long flight.
The NFL has already played regular-season games in London, Munich, Frankfurt, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, and Toronto. The league 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,” said 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.” NFL International has an office in Australia that has been working on the deal for almost three years, and there had been intense efforts from the state government to secure Melbourne as the venue.
“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.”
Australia has a player featuring in Sunday’s Super Bowl in the form of Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata. Before the decision was formally announced, Mailata expressed disappointment that his hometown of Sydney had not been chosen. “I understand why they’re in Melbourne. I am disappointed – in Sydney, not Melbourne. (But) there is a reason, there is a reason for everything,” he told reporters at the team’s hotel.
When asked whether he thought the MCG was the right venue, he appeared skeptical about the game being played on the giant oval-shaped field, which is also used for Australian rules football. “I don’t know, it’s such a big place, such a big oval. For anyone who doesn’t know this, the MCG is huge,” said the Eagles star. “I’ve never played at the MCG, so that would be pretty nice to add to my list of accomplishments.”
However, Mailata expressed delight that Aussie fans would have the chance to see the game close up. “A hundred percent. I think the more eyes that we can get from viewers back home, just to get interest and generate more viewership down under, get more folks, I think that’s great for the game,” he said.
Mailata also hoped that the opportunity for his compatriots to see the game up close might dispel some of the stereotypes about NFL players not being as tough as those in Australian rules or rugby due to the wearing of pads. “I think it is a shame that kind of stigma affects how people view the game…put the pads on, we’ll find out.”
© 2024 AFP
