NFL’s Global Quest: Australia Set to Host Historic 2026 Game as International Expansion Grows
The NFL is continuing its ongoing push for world dominance, with the league pushing to set even more regular-season games outside of North America. The 2026 season could well see as many as ten encounters being played around the world, with a first-ever clash in Australia already penciled in.
The NFL has proven incredibly popular during its stints in the United Kingdom and Germany, and upcoming games in Madrid, Dublin, and Sao Paulo are sure to be sellouts, further proving the global appeal of the American Football action.
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The move to play NFL games in Australia is perhaps the most momentous occasion in terms of recent markets, not least due to the sheer distance that teams will need to travel to take part. The designated team for the 2026 game is the Los Angeles Rams, with their opponents to be revealed in due course.
On making the move, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell commented.
“Expanding to Melbourne, Australia, a beautiful city with a rich sports history, underlines our ambitions to become a global sport and accelerate international growth,”
“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.”
By all accounts, the NFL has around 6 million fans in the region, and no doubt the opening game will be sold out way in advance, and that may well open things up further. This is how things panned out in London, with initial single-game events in the city moving up to the three that currently take place in the United Kingdom capital.
Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke was also very enthusiastic about the pairing with Australia, stating on the move to make his club the designated team.
“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,” “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.”
The Rams won the Super Bowl at the end of the 2021 season, beating the Cincinnati Bengals, but in the subsequent three seasons, they have managed just one playoff win, with head coach Sean McVay no doubt hoping to be going further into the postseason this coming campaign.
