San Francisco 49ers 27 – Los Angeles Rams 7
The NFL has officially made its mark on Australia and the San Francisco 49ers made sure the historic occasion ended with a statement victory.
More than 100,000 fans packed the Melbourne Cricket Ground as the 49ers defeated the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 in the first ever NFL regular season game played in Australia. The official attendance was 100,021, making it the seventh largest crowd for a regular season game in NFL history.
For Australian sports fans, the result was almost secondary to the spectacle.
The MCG was transformed from Australia’s most famous cricket and AFL venue into an NFL stadium, complete with American football markings, goalposts and thousands of fans wearing NFL jerseys.
And there was certainly no shortage of 49ers support.
49ERS TAKE CONTROL
San Francisco started slowly but gradually took control of the contest.
The 49ers opened the scoring with an Eddy Piñeiro field goal before quarterback Brock Purdy began to find his rhythm.
Purdy finished with 205 passing yards and three touchdown passes, connecting with Demarcus Robinson, Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel as San Francisco pulled away.
The Rams briefly gave their supporters something to celebrate when running back Kyren Williams crossed for a five yard touchdown in the second quarter.
But that would be Los Angeles’ only touchdown of the afternoon.
San Francisco responded and then completely shut the Rams out after halftime.
The 49ers scored in both the third and fourth quarters to turn a 10-7 contest into a convincing 27-7 victory.
RAMS STRUGGLE IN HISTORIC OPENER
It was a disappointing start to the season for a Rams team that entered 2026 with genuine Super Bowl expectations.
Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford was held to just 155 passing yards as San Francisco’s defence consistently disrupted the Rams’ offence.
The Rams also struggled to convert opportunities, including a crucial fourth down attempt near the goal line.
While Los Angeles had the distinction of being the designated home team, the atmosphere inside the MCG often felt anything but.
MELBOURNE GOES NFL
The football was only one part of the story.
The real winner may have been Melbourne.
Fans travelled from across Australia and overseas to experience the historic game, while the MCG became a sea of NFL jerseys and team colours.
The 49ers had also spent significantly more time in Australia before the game, arriving a week early to acclimatise to the time zone and unusual morning kickoff.
The Rams took a very different approach, arriving much closer to game day.
Whether that ultimately made a difference is impossible to say, but San Francisco certainly looked more comfortable as the game progressed.
AUSTRALIA HAS SPOKEN
If there was any question about whether Australia could embrace the NFL, the answer arrived loud and clear at the MCG.
100,021 fans.
A seventh largest regular season crowd in NFL history.
And an event that showed just how powerful the Australian sporting market can be.
The NFL has already committed to another game in Victoria in 2027, meaning Friday’s historic occasion is unlikely to be a one off.
The MCG has hosted cricket, AFL, soccer, rugby and some of the biggest sporting events on the planet.
Now it can add NFL regular season football to the list.
And if the scenes in Melbourne are anything to go by, Australia will be ready when the NFL comes back.
FINAL SCORE
🏈 San Francisco 49ers 27
🏈 Los Angeles Rams 7
Attendance: 100,021
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Historic milestone: First NFL regular season game played in Australia.
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