StadiumPosts Logo
Stay upto date with notifications from Stadiumposts
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences

NFL CONFIRMS FIRST-EVER AUSTRALIAN REGULAR SEASON GAME AT MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND

The NFL heads to Australia! Discover why the 49ers and Rams are squaring off at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in a historic 2026 game.

NFL Confirms First-Ever Australian Regular Season Game At Melbourne Cricket Ground
San Francisco 49ers To Face Los Angeles Rams In Melbourne 2026

Get ready, Australia—NFL football is finally coming your way. For the first time, the regular season heads Down Under, landing at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. The San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams will square off in what’s shaping up to be a truly historic showdown.

The NFL dropped the news on Thursday: Melbourne will host one of nine international games in 2026, joining cities like London, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Munich, Madrid, and Paris. In total, these games will play out across four continents, seven countries, and eight stadiums.

The exact date and kickoff time for the Melbourne game haven’t been set yet, but the league is teaming up with the Victorian State Government and Visit Victoria to pull off this big event.

“We’re thrilled to bring the 49ers and Rams to the MCG for our first-ever regular season game in Melbourne,” said Charlotte Offord, who heads up NFL Australia & New Zealand. “The 49ers have a huge following here, and this rivalry guarantees Aussie fans are in for an incredible NFL experience.”

Everyone knew the Rams—two-time Super Bowl champs—would be the “home” team in Melbourne, but having the legendary 49ers in the mix, with their five world titles, just ups the stakes.

Expect to see big names. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and Rams safety Julian Love are both set to hit the field in this overseas clash.

“This is a terrific chance to help the league grow the game of football,” said 49ers CEO Al Guido. “We can’t wait to work with the NFL and give back to local Aussie communities through sport.”

News of the Melbourne game drops right as Sydney-born punter Michael Dickson is getting ready to play in the Super Bowl for the Seahawks against the Patriots—a big week for Aussie NFL fans.

“As we make history with the NFL’s first regular season game in Australia, we’re excited to bring our annual NFC West match-up against the 49ers to the MCG,” said Rams president Kevin Demoff. “Since we first got marketing rights here in 2021, and especially after announcing this game last year, we’ve seen a huge wave of excitement from fans in Australia and all over the world. We’re looking forward to spending the off-season getting even closer to the Melbourne community before the game this fall.”

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan didn’t hide her excitement, either: “Bringing the NFL to the MCG is a massive win both on and off the field, and hosting a team like the 49ers just makes it even better. We can’t wait to welcome these two great teams and show off the best of Melbourne and Victoria.”

GILBERT ARENAS RIPS LAKERS AFTER "DISAPPOINTING" LUKE KENNARD TRADE DEADLINE MOVE

Gilbert Arenas slams the Lakers' trade for Luke Kennard as JJ Redick prepares to unleash the 50% shooter in a new 2026 rotation.

top-news
Luke Kennard To Make Lakers Debut After Blistering 50% Shooting Season

On Thursday, February 5, the Lakers made a move and brought in Luke Kennard. He’s known for his shooting, and honestly, they need the extra floor spacing in JJ Redick’s rotation.

Right after the news broke, Gilbert Arenas didn’t hold back on social media. He sounded off about the trade, almost like he’d had enough.

“At this point, I’m just going to take matters into my own hands. Every hooper that can still hoop, we’re going to go down to Crypto Centre and just try out because at this point they’re allowing anybody on the team,” Arenas said. “What happened to the names? The names made the Lakers… He was a Clipper before! “Fuck him!”

Arenas probably wanted a bigger, flashier move at the deadline—he’s not alone. A lot of Lakers fans felt the same. Even so, Kennard does make the team better. The Lakers have been struggling from deep all year, and Kennard’s shooting should help.

After 50 games, the Lakers rank 21st in three-point percentage, hitting 34.9% on nearly 34 attempts a night. Kennard isn’t just a shooter, either. He can handle the ball a bit, maybe open up the offence with some playmaking, which the Lakers could use when the first option breaks down.

Redick seemed genuinely excited after the Lakers’ 119-115 win over the Sixers. At the postgame press conference, he talked about what Kennard brings.

“I’m excited about Luke,” Redick said. “I’ve known him for about 12 years now, and I think he’s one of the best shooters in the NBA. I’m going to highly encourage him to shoot more and not turn down shots.”

He went on: “One of the underrated parts of his game is his ability to move and create second actions—move the basketball. You’ve seen that at different spots he’s been. You can start the offence with off-ball movement, and he’ll make the right play. He gets the offence moving.”

Kennard played 46 games with the Hawks this season, averaging 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He’s been lights out from three—almost 50% on 3.2 attempts per game. With Redick pushing him to shoot even more, expect that number to go up.

Now that the trade deadline has passed, the Lakers are looking at the buyout market. Haywood Highsmith’s name has come up as a possible target.

Edwin Garcia from Silver Screen and Roll sees Highsmith as a perfect fit. Highsmith had knee surgery after getting traded to the Nets last offseason, had a setback, and hasn’t played this year. The Nets just waived him Thursday morning, but he’s reportedly playing 5-on-5 again and drawing interest. Last season, he averaged 6.5 points and shot 38% from three with the Heat. Shooting like that doesn’t come around often in the buyout market, so if Highsmith’s healthy, he’s interesting.

Rob Pelinka will check out all the options, of course. But on paper, Highsmith could fill a lot of the three-and-d gaps the Lakers have right now.

AARON JONES PUBLICLY RECRUITS AARON RODGERS TO MINNESOTA VIKINGS FOR 2026

Aaron Jones is recruiting Aaron Rodgers to the Vikings, but with Minnesota’s cap issues, will the veteran RB even be there in 2026?

top-news
Packers Fans React To Potential Aaron Rodgers Move To Minnesota

Aaron Jones isn’t hiding it—he’d love to play with Aaron Rodgers again. When someone asked him about Rodgers’ future, Jones just said, “I like him in Minnesota.” That’s straight from VikingzFanPage.

Let’s be real, Jones doesn’t sound too sold on J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings’ current quarterback. Last year, McCarthy threw more picks than touchdowns—12 interceptions to just 11 TDs. Not exactly inspiring confidence.

If you’re a Packers fan, you’ve seen a version of this before. Brett Favre left Green Bay and landed in Minnesota, and back then, that was a big deal. But with Rodgers, it just doesn’t feel the same. The idea of him in purple isn’t really scary.

Here’s the thing: Jones is probably trying to recruit Rodgers to a team he won’t even play for. The Vikings could save $8 million in cap space by cutting Jones, who’s 31 now. Minnesota’s strapped for cash—only one team has less cap space—so nobody should be shocked if they move on from him this offseason.

Even if by some twist Jones stays and Rodgers joins, don’t expect a magical Packers reunion in Minnesota. Rodgers just wrapped up a pretty average season with the Steelers—3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, seven picks, and a 94.8 passer rating. That’s a far cry from the MVP Rodgers we remember in Green Bay. Honestly, the Packers made the right call when they moved on.

With or without Rodgers, the Vikings are still the least threatening team in the NFC North for Green Bay. The Bears just won the division. The Lions are stacked. Even if Minnesota keeps Jones and somehow brings in Rodgers, it doesn’t change much for the Packers. At this stage in their careers, nobody’s losing sleep over it.

If Rodgers ever comes back to the NFC North, it should only be for a one-day deal so he can retire as a Packer. He brought so much to Green Bay, including that Super Bowl win in 2010. Seeing him in another NFC North jersey? Just wrong.

But if Jones gets his wish and Rodgers ends up in Minnesota, the Packers shouldn’t even flinch. Rodgers and Jones aren’t what they used to be. Their joining forces in Minnesota would just feel desperate, nothing more.

Premier League Standings

WhatsApp Read More News