NFL to host first-ever regular season game in Australia in 2026

The Melbourne Cricket Ground, which will host an NFL game in 2026, is seen here on Jan. 30. (Morgan Hancock/CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

The National Football League is going Down Under.

The NFL announced Wednesday it will host the first-ever regular season game in Australia in 2026.

The Los Angeles Rams will be the designated home team at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, an Australian shrine. They will play against an opponent who will be revealed later.

“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.

“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.”

Rams owner Stanley Kroenke said it’s an “exciting day” globally for Rams’ nation.

“When we first identified Australia as one of our global markets, it was not only because of our passionate fans who reside there, but also because of the important role Los Angeles plays in serving as a gateway to Australia and many countries across the Pacific,” Kroenke said in a statement.

“Today is an exciting day for Rams fans across the world, especially in Australia, where our players and organization have received an enthusiastic reception over the past few years when we have been in market.”

Along with the Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles hold marketing rights in the continent.

Australia is a “significant global market” for the NFL, the league said, and has a fan base of 6.6 million.

“We’re thrilled the NFL will be touching down in the sporting capital of Australia,” Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said in a 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.”

The 2026 game isn’t the league’s first foray into Australia. The Denver Broncos faced the San Diego Chargers in a 1999 preseason game in Sydney.

The NFL has played 55 regular season games internationally, with London, Mexico City, Toronto, São Paulo, Brazil and two German cities — Munich and Frankfurt – serving as hosts.

By Wayne Sterling, CNN