Sporting life: NFL heading for Paris, and Melbourne

Calling all sports fans. 

The spectacle that is the National Football League is heading for Melbourne, and Paris, 

The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will play the first game in Australia, the NFL confirmed this week. 

The NFC West rivals will play next season at Melbourne Cricket Ground. 

The date, kick-off time and ticket information will be released at a later date but if you get an inkling then it might pay to book flights and hotel rooms as early as possible. 

The news followed announcement that the New Orleans Saints will be one of the teams playing in the first game in France next season. 

The Melbourne and Paris games will be part of an NFL-record nine international games in 2026. 

The NFL also will have three games in London - a regular venue in recent years - and one each in Madrid, Spain; Munich, Germany; Mexico City, Mexico; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“This is a terrific opportunity to continue to support the league in its mission to grow the game of football,” 49ers CEO Al Guido told the New York Times. 

“We look forward to working with the NFL to benefit local Australian communities through sport."

The Rams are equally enthused.  

“Since we first secured marketing rights to the country in 2021 and more recently since the announcement of this game last year, we have seen tremendous excitement for our team from fans both in Australia and also across the world,” Rams president Kevin Demoff said. 

“We look forward to spending this offseason continuing to deepen our connection with the Melbourne community leading up to the game this fall.”

The Paris game will be played at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. north of Paris, the home of France’s soccer and rugby union national teams.

Image: Los Angeles Rams