The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will face off in Melbourne for the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia. The league confirmed the historic matchup will kick off at 10:35 a.m. local time Friday, September 11-8:35 p.m. ET Thursday.
“We are thrilled to kick off our season in Melbourne, enhancing an already historic moment for both the NFL and the Rams,” said Stephanie Cheng, Rams Head of International.
The game will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, underscoring the NFL’s global expansion strategy.
Separately, the NFL will open its 2026 season on Wednesday, September 9, when the Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks host an opponent yet to be named. It marks only the second Wednesday season opener since 1950-the last being in 2012 due to the Democratic National Convention.