Report: Herald Sun: Los Angeles Rams vs. Philadelphia in Melbourne, Australia October 2026

[chongli]

Reported by the Herald Sun in Australia [paywall only], but not confirmed by the NFL or teams involved, so take it as you will.

 

 

 

https://www.cbssports.com/writers/jeff-kerr/

 

NFL in Australia: Eagles owner will play in first game Down Under, but under one condition

 

"Per the Herald Sun, the Eagles and Los Angeles Rams are the two teams scheduled to play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in October of 2026. The Eagles gave up a home game this season when playing in Brazil, and this would be the case for 2026 based on the report. The Rams are a designated home opponent for the Eagles, so Philadelphia would again be asked to give up a home game"

 

https://www.sportspro.com/news/nfl-melbourne-australia-games-mcg-rams-eagles-regular-season-2026-february-2025/

 

Melbourne ‘set to host’ NFL games at MCG

 

Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams lined up for the league’s first match in Oceania.

 

"The league’s interest in playing in Australia was first confirmed last year. According to the Herald Sun, NFL officials visited the MCG last August to investigate the viability of staging games at the venue. Victoria state premier Jacinta Allen is said to have personally played a key role in negotiations, with a deal to make Victoria the sole Australian state to host NFL matches.

 

The NFL opened an NFL Academy on the Gold Coast last year, and claims there are already 6.6 million American football fans in Australia. The Rams and the Eagles, who have former Australian rugby league player Jordan Mailata on their roster, currently hold global marketing rights for the country."

 

----------

 

[But from the same CBS Sports article:]

 

"If the Philadelphia Eagles decide to play in Australia, they won't be making the same deal as the last time they played an international game. The Eagles are reportedly set to play in the league's first regular-season game in Australia, but owner Jeffrey Lurie will not give up a home game this time in order to do so"

 

[...]
 

Lurie won't be giving up a game at Lincoln Financial Field in 2026, the season the Eagles are scheduled to have nine home games. 

 

"We are a natural team to play there," Lurie said. "If there's an opportunity to be an away team there, we will embrace that."

 

Edited yesterday at 02:01 PM by chongli

[Dablitzkrieg]

Goodell said he anticipates an international franchise and a superbowl played internationally as well.  😫

[NoSaint]

Australia in October? Thats like 24 hours on a plane for Philly. Each way. It makes no sense. 

Edited yesterday at 01:01 PM by NoSaint

[GunnerBill]

MCG is an incredible venue.

[ddaryl]

NOT A FAN OF THIS BS.

Regular season games must remain in the USA.. give them all the exhibitions they want but this steals a home game from a team 

Edited yesterday at 01:50 PM by ddaryl

[frostbitmic]

If the league is going to carry on with overseas game scheduling they need to keep the 17 game season, and add an extra bye week.

 

By keeping it a 17 game season each team could have 8 home games, 8 road games and a neutral site game where no one gets screwed out of a home game.

 

I'm sure the NFL would have no problem filling a 16 game international schedule and you know they want to.

 

London X3, Germany X2, Madrid, Paris, Rome, Australia, Brazil, Qatar, UAE, Tokyo, Mexico City, Toronto, Vancouver

[78thealltimegreat]

What is needed is for the Eagles and Rams to play an Australian Rules game and not an American one. Watching Jalen Carter trying to kick the ball through the uprights would be worth the price of admission alone. 

[JohnNord]

1 hour ago, NoSaint said:

Australia in October? Thats like 24 hours on a plane for Philly. Each way. It makes no sense. 

100% that travel is hell.  

[Blazman11]

56 minutes ago, ddaryl said:

NOT A FAN OF THIS BS.

Regular season games must remain in the USA.. give them all the exhibitions they want but this steals a home game from a team 

 

Agree totally.  NFLPA needs to grow a pair and say no to this, if the players feel the same way.  

 

I hate to use the whole tax dollars thing because there are so many layers to that conversation but…….The NFL does hold every city hostage when a new stadium deal is negotiated.   If you take public money for a stadium, then every scheduled home game should be played in the US.  

[Low Positive]

47 minutes ago, 78thealltimegreat said:

What is needed is for the Eagles and Rams to play an Australian Rules game and not an American one. Watching Jalen Carter trying to kick the ball through the uprights would be worth the price of admission alone. 

In short shorts and a tank top, no less.

[wppete]

Idiotic. 

[billsfan89]

2 hours ago, NoSaint said:

Australia in October? Thats like 24 hours on a plane for Philly. Each way. It makes no sense. 

Gonna be the first game of the season so they have a bye week before and likely gonna be on a Friday so they have a couple extra days the week after. I’m not a fan of games in vastly different time zones even with added prep time.

[US Egg]

This surely cannot be about getting Joe fan here going there. If I’m dropping $20,000, or whatever, on a vacation to Australia, the NFL is the last thing I’d be interested to see there. The same goes for London, Germany or anywhere outside the U.S. 

[chongli]

10 minutes ago, US Egg said:

This surely cannot be about getting Joe fan here going there. If I’m dropping $20,000, or whatever, on a vacation to Australia, the NFL is the last thing I’d be interested to see there. The same goes for London, Germany or anywhere outside the U.S. 

 

I guess the purpose is to attract international fans. According to the CBS article:

 

"The NFL opened an NFL Academy on the Gold Coast last year, and claims there are already 6.6 million American football fans in Australia."

[NoSaint]

23 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

Gonna be the first game of the season so they have a bye week before and likely gonna be on a Friday so they have a couple extra days the week after. I’m not a fan of games in vastly different time zones even with added prep time.

to put teams on a plane for 48 hours round trip to play in Australia in a game where the outcome matters is just terrible 

 

there’s a reason this isn’t a weekend getaway destination 

4 minutes ago, chongli said:

 

I guess the purpose is to attract international fans. According to the CBS article:

 

"The NFL opened an NFL Academy on the Gold Coast last year, and claims there are already 6.6 million American football fans in Australia."

put the pro bowl there

[RkFast]

Goodell will sell the NFL out to a country that is 20 hours by planeride away, but Im supposed to beleive that he hes "above" making sure Tay Tay and all her fans dont have a spot in New Orleans? 

Edited yesterday at 03:33 PM by RkFast

[US Egg]

10 minutes ago, chongli said:

 

I guess the purpose is to attract international fans. According to the CBS article:

 

"The NFL opened an NFL Academy on the Gold Coast last year, and claims there are already 6.6 million American football fans in Australia."

Given that, no doubt the NFL knows it’ll go over big and be quite the spectacle and a treat for those fans there, which is who they’re likely targeting.

[T master]

Won't be promoting any games by watching them out side of the US , not even the Bills !! 

[Amaru523]

I'm pretty sure Goodell is aiming for global dominance and he'll stop at nothing to achieve it. 

[Mark Vader]

1 hour ago, chongli said:

 

I guess the purpose is to attract international fans. According to the CBS article:

 

"The NFL opened an NFL Academy on the Gold Coast last year, and claims there are already 6.6 million American football fans in Australia."

From a business standpoint, this is a smart move by the NFL. 

 

Australia and Germany are the two international countries that have the biggest followings in the NFL.