LOS ANGELES -- The Rams will host a game in Australia during the 2026 season, the NFL announced on Wednesday.
The game will be played in Melbourne at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground and will be the first-ever NFL game played in Australia, coming as part of the league's multiyear commitment to play regular-season games in the country.
The Rams' opponent, along with the date and kickoff time, will be announced at a later date.
"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. "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."
"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," Los Angeles Rams owner and chairman E. Stanley Kroenke added in a statement. "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."
Starting during the 2025 season, the NFL can schedule up to eight international regular-season games per season.
"We're thrilled the NFL will be touching down in the sporting capital of Australia. Victoria is now the first-ever state in Australia to host a regular season NFL game," Premier of Victoria 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."
In 2026, the Rams are scheduled to play nine games at home: against the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and their same-place finishers in the NFC North and AFC East divisions.
Australia is one of the Rams' six international home marketing areas, along with China, Mexico, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.