The NFL Goes to Australia? Inside the Plans to Schedule a Football Game in the Land Down Under
In 2007 the NFL hosted its first official game outside the United States, giving a British audience their first live look at the American game of football. The New York Giants took down the Miami Dolphins 13-10 to an attendance of more than 80,000. 18 years later, the NFL hasn’t looked back since. They’ve now hosted in four countries, including this year’s season opener between the Packers and Eagles in Brazil, and now look to expand even further. There are tentative plans to host a game in Spain next year, although the teams are undecided, and then in 2026, the NFL is looking to make its furthest trip yet - to Melbourne, Australia.
Since the NFL implemented its plans to expand internationally, owners decided that certain teams would be given exclusive marketing rights for specific countries. For Australia, only the Eagles and Rams are allowed to market there. So, it made sense when plans came to fruition to play Down Under, those were the teams that were at the top of the list. The Eagles are especially connected to Australia. Their starting left tackle, Jordan Maliata, was born in Bankstown, Australia, and began his career playing rugby.
It seemed fitting that the NFL then asked the Eagles to play “host” for this special matchup. There’s only one problem. Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie said he would refuse to give up another “home” game for an international game - as he did this year in Brazil. The Rams have since agreed to lose a home game for it, although plans remain somewhat unofficial as we stand more than a year and a half out of its potential date. As of now, the game would be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which holds a capacity of more than one hundred thousand. The potential for a sellout looms large. Australia remains one of the NFL’s largest markets outside of the United States, with experts believing there are more than six million regular viewers of American football in the country. For fans at home and abroad, everyone should be excited about this new chapter in football’s story.
