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Feb. 5 (UPI) -- The NFL will hold a game in Australia for the first time in 2026, the league announced Wednesday. The Los Angeles Rams will be the home team. Their opponent and the kickoff time 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 news release.
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"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."
The Rams will host the game at Melbourne Cricket Ground. The NFL said its fan base is 6.6 million in Australia, where the Rams hold marketing rights.
"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," Rams owner E. Stanley Kroenke said.
"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.
"This is the next important step for both the Rams and the broader Kroenke Sports & Entertainment family to continue to expand our reach globally, and we are thrilled to work with commissioner Goodell and the league office to make history and bring the first NFL regular season game to Australia."
Jacinta Allan, the premier of Victoria, said Victorians were "thrilled" by the news.
"Victoria is now the first-ever state in Australia to host a regular season NFL game," Allan said. "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."
