Live: Rivals Rams and 49ers meet for historic first NFL match in Australia

The National Football League is being played in Australia for the first time, as the Melbourne Cricket Ground turns into an American football coliseum.The LA Rams and San Francisco 49ers, rivals in the NFC West division, meet for their opening regular-season game in front of a mammoth crowd.Follow all the live action of the first NFL match played in Australia on the live blog below.Fri 11 Sep 2026 at 8:35amFri 11 Sep 2026 at 8:35amHow can I watch in Australia?The game will be available to watch in Australia on Fox Sports/Kayo or on free-to-air on Channel Seven or 7Plus.Coverage starts from 10am AEST.You can follow all of the live action from wherever you are with the ABC Sport live blog (which you are reading now. Thanks for that).Fri 11 Sep 2026 at 8:32amFri 11 Sep 2026 at 8:32amWhat time is NFL kick-off in MelbourneHere is when kick-off between the LA Rams and San Francisco 49ers will be in each state and territory.10:35am: Victoria, NSW, Queensland, ACT, Tasmania10:05am: South Australia, Northern Territory8:35am: Western Australia12:35pm: New Zealand5:35pm: Los Angeles, San Francisco8:35pm: New YorkFri 11 Sep 2026 at 8:30amFri 11 Sep 2026 at 8:30amWelcome to the ABC Sport NFL blogGood morning, Australia.Good evening, America.Welcome to ABC Sport's live digital coverage of the first ever NFL game played in Australia.The Melbourne Cricket Ground is the host of today's Week 1 match-up between the LA Rams and San Francisco 49ers.Anticipation for this match has been building for a long time, and kick-off is fast approaching.You can be part of the blog and join the conversation in the comment section below.