Overview
- The NFL confirmed the Los Angeles Rams are the designated home team for a Week 1 regular-season game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia.
- 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan expressed frustration in comments on May 25–26 about the trip’s length and that the Rams reportedly requested San Francisco as their Week 1 opponent.
- Team reports say the journey will include about a 19-hour flight and a round-trip distance that exceeds the full-season travel of roughly 10 other NFL teams, creating a major logistical burden.
- General manager John Lynch vowed the team will not use travel as an excuse and said the 49ers will ‘take over’ the stadium, while the NFL has told the club it will try to ease some travel strain.
- The matchup highlights a broader trade-off in the NFL’s expanded 2026 international schedule: more global exposure and new markets come with longer trips, lost local home advantages and complex scheduling decisions such as the 49ers’ more manageable Mexico City game.