“A significant next step”: NFL confirms multi-year Melbourne deal

The NFL has confirmed a multi-year deal to play regular season games in Australia.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has committed to playing games in Melbourne beginning in 2026 at the MCG.

The Los Angeles Rams have been announced as the designated team for next year’s first-ever NFL game on Australian shores.

“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 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.”

Specific match details will be announced at a later date, but early reports suggest the Philadelphia Eagles, who along with the Rams hold NFL marketing rights in Australia, could be set to travel down under for the historic match.

Some LA media outlets suggest the game could be held in Week 1 of the 2026/27 season in early September, likely coinciding with the AFL’s pre-finals bye.

The NFL has previously held games in London, Munich, Frankfurt, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto.

In 2025, regular season games will be held again in London as well as Berlin and Madrid.

This season’s Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Eagles takes place on Monday in New Orleans. Listen to all the action LIVE across the SEN network from 9am AEDT.