Melbourne Cricket Ground prepares for NFL season opener between Rams and 49ers
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 3, 2026, 5:41 PM
Last updated Sep 3, 2026
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is scheduled to host the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers for their NFL season-opening game next week. Known locally as The G, the stadium serves as the primary venue for the NFL's first international game in Australia this season. The selection of the 100,000-capacity arena followed a competitive bid process across Australian states, highlighting the city's history of staging major international sporting events. Established in 1853, the venue has a long-standing history with cricket, having hosted the first official test match in 1877 and multiple World Cup finals. Officials noted that the growth of the NFL's Australian fanbase, supported by flag football initiatives and increased interest from women, influenced the decision to bring the matchup to the historic venue.
- •The Los Angeles Rams face the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground next week.
- •The 100,000-capacity stadium was selected following a competitive NFL bid process.
- •This game marks the first of nine international NFL matches scheduled for the current season.
- •The stadium previously hosted the 1992 and 2015 Cricket World Cup finals.
- 5:41 PMYahoo Sports — From test cricket marathons to the NFL: Melbourne’s MCG readies for Rams-49ers
"A debut Down Under has been a long time coming for the NFL. It's fitting, too, that the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers will be playing their season-opening game next week at the Melbourne Cricket Ground — known locally as the MCG or, more commonly, just as The G. It's where for almost 150 years Australia has been playing test cricket matches, which can run across five days yet still finish without a winner, and it's the home of Australian rules football.
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