The date for Australia's first-ever regular-season NFL game has been confirmed, with the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers to square off on the hallowed turf of the MCG on Friday, September 11. 2026.
Kick-off will be at 10.35 am AEST, meaning the landmark clash will be beamed back into the US in prime time on the evening of Thursday, September 10.
The timing of the match between the NFC West divisional rivals could be problematic for the AFL. With the finals series now to commence in late August, following the introduction of a Wildcard Round, the AFL will be in the midst of semi-final week.
AFL semi-finals are almost always scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights, so if a Victorian team were to win the right to host a semi-final, the MCG would be unavailable on Friday night. If two Victorians win hosting rights, a second semi-final in Melbourne could potentially be forced away from the MCG.
A Saturday night semi-final at the MCG would create a frantic turnaround for the AFL and MCC, with the field of play, change rooms, signage, etc, all needing to be changed.
Tickets for the blockbuster NFL clash will be in high demand, with 150,000 fans already on the waitlist.
The inaugural match is expected to be the first of up to three NFL games in Victoria over the next few years.
