The NFL is playing its first-ever regular-season game on Australian soil when the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams meet at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, September 11.

Melbourne hosts the game as part of the league's most ambitious international expansion to date, with the full 2026 schedule featuring a record nine games played overseas.

Punters looking to bet on NFL action will have plenty of opportunities as the season unfolds.

The MCG, Australia's largest stadium, provides the setting for a fixture that doubles as an NFC West divisional opener.

Rivals Head to Melbourne After Competitive 2025 Season

The Rams and 49ers are established NFC West heavyweights with a rivalry that produced a tightly contested 2025 campaign.

San Francisco edged Los Angeles 26-23 in overtime in their October meeting, with both sides reaching the playoffs - the Rams as the No. 5 seed and the 49ers as the No. 6 seed.

Netflix will stream the game for audiences outside local team markets, according to multiple media reports.

The streaming platform already holds the NFL's Christmas Day package and is reportedly close to finalising a Thanksgiving Eve deal, which would make the Australia fixture the third NFL game Netflix broadcasts in 2026.

The NFL has pointed to its long-term ambitions in the region, stating: "The NFL is committed to investing in the development of the game year-round across the continent and across the Asia-Pacific region."

General ticket sales for the Melbourne fixture opened in April via Ticketmaster Australia, with hospitality and travel packages available through On Location.

The San Francisco franchise alone is projected to travel more than 38,100 miles across the 2026 season - a new NFL record - with a separate Mexico City date in December adding to a historic travel load.

Melbourne Headlines a Nine-City International Slate

Melbourne is one of seven international cities hosting NFL games in 2026, a record for the league's global programme.

Paris stages the New Orleans Saints against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7, Madrid hosts the Cincinnati Bengals versus the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, and Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã Stadium welcomes the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens for a Week 3 match on September 27.

London, Munich, and Mexico City complete the overseas calendar.

The 2026 season itself opens Wednesday, September 9, with defending Super Bowl champions the Seattle Seahawks hosting the traditional league-opening fixture at Lumen Field.

Check the latest Super Bowl odds to see how the contenders stack up heading into the new campaign.

The Rams and 49ers then take the field at the MCG on Friday, September 11, at 10:35 a.m. AEST - Thursday evening in the United States - in the first NFL regular-season game ever played in Australia.