NFL confirms Melbourne’s MCG will host regular-season game in 2026 as part of new multi-year deal
The NFL has confirmed a multi-year deal to host one regular-season game at the MCG in Melbourne from the 2026 season.
The announcement took place in New Orleans ahead of Monday’s Super Bowl, when Australia’s Jordan Mailata will hope to become the country’s first NFL champion.
The NFL said the inaugural game is likely to be held in the opening round of the 2026 season, potentially one week before the start of the AFL finals, with a late-morning kick-off to beam the game into US prime time.
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The NFL has yet to confirm the away team despite prior speculation Mailata’s Philadelphia Eagles would appear, with that possibility ruled out by the structure of the league’s fixture.
Two-time defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs, who are gunning for a third straight title, are among the possible opponents but a team from a city with a direct flight to Melbourne would appear more likely.
“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.
“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.”
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said: “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. 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.”
The current NFL season featured three matches in London, one in Brazil and one in Germany as the league continues to take the game to all parts of the world.
Next season’s fixture will see a game played at Real Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Spain for the first time.
The NFL has been expanding its international presence in recent years with owners voting in December 2023, to authorise the league to host eight games internationally each season.
The Melbourne game is a significant leap from the NFL’s last appearance in Australia when the sport was far less prominent.
In 1999 the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers held a pre-season game in front of about 60,000 fans at Sydney’s newly built Stadium Australia.
The New York Times then reported “canned applause was frequently blasted across the stadium when the audience was slow to cheer”.
The NFL’s return flips the NRL’s move to crack the American market with last year’s experiment to host games in Las Vegas, which continues in Round 1 of the 2025 season next month.
Originally published on 7NEWS Sport
