Australia's eagerly awaited NFL debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground will kick off the most spectacular global edition yet of America's sporting behemoth after the league's international game schedule was unveiled in full.
The entire series, with a record nine games to be played across seven countries worldwide at some of sport's most celebrated venues, will begin at the MCG when the San Francisco 49ers take on the Los Angeles Rams on September 10, the NFL revealed on Wednesday.
The league, which had already announced the historic Melbourne match in February, underlined that it would be the launch match of the international series on the Friday morning at the MCG, 17 hours ahead of California time.
The league continues to drive for global expansion, with 62 regular-season games having been played outside the US.
“This year’s record-breaking schedule will see a host of world-class NFL franchises and star athletes play in some of the most iconic sporting venues in the world," Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice-president of club business, major events and international, said in a statement.
"It underlines the league’s global growth vision and bringing our fans internationally closer to the game than ever before."
Juts over a fortnight after the Australian debut, the action will go to Brazil for a third-straight season on September 27, with the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys facing off at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium.
London, which has hosted over 40 games since 2007, will stage three more in October, with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosting the Indianapolis Colts against Washington Commanders before staging Philadelphia Eagles versus Jacksonville Jaguars.
Wembley, England's national stadium in the capital, will then stage Houston Texans against the Jaguars.
Paris will then host a historic first match, with the Pittsburgh Steelers playing the New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France on October 25.
The Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons will meet in Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium, home of soccer giants Real Madrid, on November 8.
New England Patriots will take on the Detroit Lions in Munich, Germany for the penultimate international contest, with the action concluding in Mexico City for the first time since 2022 for a clash between the Minnesota Vikings and the 49ers on November 22.
The rest of the full 2026 NFL schedule will be released on Thursday.
