49ers and Rams play regular season NFL game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

2 sources • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 11, 2026, 2:49 AM

Last updated Sep 11, 2026

49ers and Rams play regular season NFL game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Summary

The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams meet Thursday in Melbourne for the first NFL regular season game held in Australia. The contest takes place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a 100,000-seat venue primarily used for cricket and Australian football. Because the stadium was not built for American football, the playing field sits at a significant distance from the spectator stands. The Melbourne Cricket Ground field dimensions, measuring 190.30 by 162.95 yards, exceed the standard 120-yard length and 53.33-yard width of an NFL surface. This configuration creates a unique visual layout compared to typical American professional venues. Fans in attendance may require binoculars to view the action clearly from their sideline seats.

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Status Watch
  • •The 49ers play the Rams in Melbourne on Thursday night.
  • •The Melbourne Cricket Ground serves as the host venue for the game.
  • •The stadium capacity is 100,000 seats.
  • •The playing surface at the stadium is larger than a standard NFL field.
  • •Spectators are positioned at an increased distance from the field of play.
Latest Updates
  • 2:49 AMYahoo Sports — Front row seats at Rams-49ers Australia game ridiculously far from action
  • 9:24 PMYahoo Sports — Why are the stands so far away from the field in NFL's 49ers-Rams Australia game?
What they're saying
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Fans seated on the sidelines are not going to be close to the action.

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Football fans needed binoculars at Rams-49ers in Melbourne.

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