NFL Melbourne Games
The NFL Melbourne Games are a series of regular season National Football League (NFL) games that are scheduled to take place in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The games will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and will form part of the NFL International Series, which sees regular season NFL games played in London, Mexico City, Germany, São Paulo, and Madrid. The games were announced on 6 February 2025 as a collaboration between the NFL and the Victoria State Government, with the first game being announced for the 2026 NFL season.[1]
History
On 8 August 1999, the American Bowl was played at Stadium Australia between the Denver Broncos and the San Diego Chargers, with the Broncos winning 20–17.[2]
In December 2021, the Los Angeles Rams were added to the NFL's "Home Marketing Areas" initiative, with Australia being one of their designated areas.[3] The Philadelphia Eagles were added to the program in Australia later.[4] The initiative allows teams to market to international fans through fan engagement, events, and commercial opportunities.
In May 2024, it was reported that the NFL was looking to host a regular season NFL game in Australia, with the MCG in Melbourne and Stadium Australia in Sydney considered as possible venues for the game.[5]
On 2 February 2025, the Herald Sun reported that the Victoria State Government had been in secret negotiations with the NFL to bring regular season games to Australia in a multi-season deal. It was stated that the first game would be played in October 2026, with the Los Angeles Rams being the designated home team and the Philadelphia Eagles being the designated away team. The deal would be for three games across separate seasons.[6]
On 6 February 2025, the NFL officially announced that a multi-season deal had been made between the NFL and the Victoria State Government to bring multiple regular season NFL games to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The first game was announced for the 2026 NFL season and is set to be played at the MCG, with the Los Angeles Rams being the designated home team. No announcements of dates, ticketing, or a designated away team were made.[7]
Venue
The NFL Melbourne Games will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
 Australia
|
| Melbourne |
| Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Capacity: 100,024[8] |
|
Matches
| Year | Date | Designated visitor |
Score | Designated home team |
Score | Stadium | City | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | TBA | TBA | Los Angeles Rams | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Melbourne |
2026
| |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| Date | 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||
The 2026 NFL Melbourne Game is a regular season National Football League (NFL) game which will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was announced on 6 February 2025 as part of a multi-season collaboration between the NFL and the Victoria State Government.[9]
References
- ↑ "Touchdown: Australia's First NFL Games Coming To Victoria". Premier of Victoria. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
- ↑ "Denver Comes From Behind Down Under". LA Times. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
- ↑ "@NFL Announces International Home Marketing Area Teams and Markets". x.com. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
- ↑ "NFL's Global Markets Program". NFL.com. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
- ↑ "Australia shortlisted as option to host NFL regular season game after MCG talks revealed". Fox Sports Australia. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
- ↑ "NFL set to host multiple international matches in Melbourne over coming years". 7NEWS Australia. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
- ↑ "Melbourne to host first-ever NFL regular season game in Australia in 2026; Rams designated team". NFL.com. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
- ↑ "MCG". AFL. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
- ↑ "Los Angeles Rams announced as designated team for first ever NFL regular season game in Australia in 2026". Los Angeles Rams. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
External links
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| National teams | |
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