After Germany, UK, and Spain, NFL will next spread into Australia and the Asia-Pacific region

Melbourne, Australia, will host a regular season NFL game in 2026.
Text: Javier Escribano
Published 2025-02-06

We have seen NFL games in Germany, the UK, and Brazil. This year, the National Football League will also come to Madrid, with Miami Dolphins acting as locals at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. Next year, NFL will reach the other side of the world: Australia.

It has been confirmed that Los Angeles Rams will be the team that will make Melbourne their home in 2026, for the first time that NFL regular season games are played in Melbourne, "a beautiful city with a rich sports history", describes NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement.

As the statement said, this will seemingly be the first step into an expansion in the Asia-Pacific region. NFL has seen that Australia has over 6 million NFL fans. Naturally, this is "a significant next step in expanding our international footprint", while Melbourne will also benefit from the arrival of thousands of tourists. "NFL fans will love Melbourne's culture, food, sport and entertainment. From hidden laneways to blockbuster events, there's always something new on show", said Steve Dimopoulos, minister of tourism and sport in the Victoria state.

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