Kickoff officially set for 49ers vs. Rams 2026 season opener in Australia

By Tim Fang

The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will begin their upcoming season in the National Football League’s first regular-season game in Australia, league officials said.

On Wednesday, the league confirmed the Week 1 matchup is scheduled for Thursday, Sep. 10 at 5:35 p.m. Pacific Time at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne. With the West Coast and Melbourne having a 17-hour time difference, kickoff at the stadium is scheduled for 10:35 a.m. AEST on Friday, Sep. 11.

Stephanie Cheng, the Rams head of special projects, said, “Not only will it be special playing the 49ers on a Friday morning in Australia, it also will be great for our fans back at home to be able to watch this match up in primetime on Thursday night.”

The Australia game will take place after the defending Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks host the league’s season opener on Wednesday, Sep. 9.

Seeking to grow the league internationally, a record nine games will take place outside the U.S. this upcoming season. In addition to playing in Melbourne, the 49ers will host a regular season game in Mexico City this season. The time of the Mexico City game and the opponent have not been announced.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, with a capacity of about 100,000. While perhaps most famously known for cricket, the stadium is also known for Australian rules football and has hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics.

Presale tickets for Rams season ticketholders is scheduled for Wednesday, April 1 at 2 p.m. Pacific Time. Meanwhile, hospitality packages for the Melbourne game will be available on Monday, Apr. 6 at 5 p.m. Pacific, with ticket sales to the general public beginning on Tuesday, Apr. 7 at 5 p.m. Pacific.