Melbourne set to host blockbuster NFL matches at MCG

In a major sporting coup for Victoria, Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles are expected to go head-to-head in a MCG extravaganza.

Melbourne is set to host an in-season NFL game, in a major sporting coup for the state.

The match will be played at the MCG in October 2026 and is one of several in season matches secured for Victoria.

It is understood the Los Angeles Rams – who won the Superbowl in 2022 – are set to feature in the match with their likely opponent the Philadelphia Eagles – who play off next Monday in the Superbowl with Australian Jordan Mailata in their team.

The Sunday Herald Sun can also reveal that Victoria is set to host up to three in-season matches as part of the deal with the NFL, with the games spread over several years.

The Allan state government has been in secret negotiations with the NFL for several months.

In August the Herald Sun revealed NFL officials had visited the MCG to determine whether the famous sporting ground was a suitable venue to help expand its international series to Australia.

The Rams and the Eagles both have the international marketing rights to Australia and the NFL established an Academy last year on the Gold Coast as part of a major push into the Pacific region.

Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams. Picture: Getty Images

The NFL matches will inject tens of millions of dollars into the Victorian economy and each match will be accompanied by a week-long sporting activation of Melbourne including fan zones and live screening of the match.

It is understood Premier Jacintha Allan has been heavily involved in the negotiations to lock in another global sporting event to add to the Formula One Grand Prix and the Australian Open tennis.

The deal would see Victoria as the sole host for the NFL matches, quashing speculation Sydney would also host a match.

It is expected the match would be held during the day to maximise television coverage in the evening in the United States with the match being used as a platform to promote Victoria as a tourism destination.

Each team would travel with hundreds of support staff but tens of thousands of fans would travel to the event.

There are about 1,200 non-stop flights between Melbourne and the US each year, taking about 435,000 people between the two countries.

Leisure travellers from the USA spent $239 million across the state in the year ending September 2024.

Melbourne is set to host an in-season NFL game at the MCG.

Australia is a significant global market for the NFL, with a fan base of 6.6 million supporters across the country.

Victorian Tourism Industry Council chief, Felicia Mariani, said the event would be a boon for Victoria.

“Anything like this is so incredibly important for continuing to grow our industry but also continuing to put Victoria on the global stage,” she said.

“If these matches are in fact part of a regular season and not just friendly exhibition matches, it makes an enormous difference to the audience in the US that will watch.

“There is no sport in the world that has the attraction and the audience as NFL does in the US.”

Ms Mariani said news of the event was excellent on the back of the announcement by US airline Delta Airlines that it would begin flying between Melbourne and Los Angeles for the first time.

“Keeping Victoria top of mind in front of potential American travellers is really important,” she said.

“There would be no better way to do that than through NFL matches with American football players, in Australia, on American television screens.”

The NFL traditionally holds four matches overseas every year with host cities including London, Frankfurt and Madrid.

Jordan Mailata of the Philadelphia Eagles. Picture: Getty Images

NFL executives _ who have previously raised concerns about bringing the series to Australia because of the necessary long distance travel _ have long wanted to crack the Australian market.

In 2021 it issued the LA Rams International Home Markets status in Australia.

It joined China and Mexico as the only three international countries granted marketing access to the team, in a bid to expand its global footprint.

The Philadelphia Eagles also have formal ties with Australia.

NFL officials expect to be able to tap into an estimated 6.6m Australian fans with the game gaining popularity here on the back of a string of recent Australian recruits who have made the move to the US to play professional NFL.

They include Jotham Russell of the New England Patriots and the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Pat Murtagh who have both been signed for the 2024 season.

An NFL pre-season match was held in Sydney in 1999 between the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers, which are now the LA Chargers.