The Los Angeles Rams are set to host a game in Melbourne, Australia in 2026 as part of the NFL’s international series. While the opponent was previously unknown, the NFL announced on Thursday that the Rams will be hosting the division rival San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Said Rams president Kevin Demoff,
“As we make history with the NFL and bring the first regular season game to Australia, we are pleased to take our annual match-up against our NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers to the MCG. Since we first secured marketing rights to the country in 2021 and more recently since the announcement of this game last year, we have seen tremendous excitement for our team from fans both in Australia and also across the world. We look forward to spending this offseason continuing to deepen our connection with the Melbourne community leading up to the game this fall.”
There is no date or time set for the game, but the Rams are the confirmed host and it has now been determined that they will host the 49ers. While it was known that the Rams were giving up a home game next year to play in Australia, it is interesting that it will be a division game and it begins to set an odd precedent.
While the NFL is pushing to go global, they have typically stayed away from division games. However, last season the Chargers hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in São Paulo, Brazil. It also won’t be the first time that the Rams have hosted an NFC West game on international grounds. Back in 2017, the Rams hosted the Arizona Cardinals at Twickenham Stadium in the United Kingdom in what was a 33-0 victory.
When it comes to the Rams and 49ers, it will certainly be an enticing matchup that grabs attention. Both of these teams were in the playoffs and will be competing for an NFC West title. However, that’s also what makes choosing this particular matchup so bizarre. The Rams are set to have home games against teams like the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, and Kansas City Chiefs. Home games are important and that’s especially the case for division home games.
Forcing the Rams to give up a home game against a prime division rival seems like unfair scheduling. At the same time, given that SoFi Stadium tends to get taken over by 49ers fans, it also may not be the worst decision either. Either way, it’s an interesting division.
With the Rams owning rights in Australia, playing a game Down Under always made sense. However, giving up a home game against a division opponent seems like an odd choice. Again, details including date and kickoff time will be announced at a later date.
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