PHOENIX — Kyle Shanahan is displeased that the San Francisco 49ers will commence the 2026 season with a journey to Melbourne, Australia, to compete against the Los Angeles Rams.
Addressing attendees at the annual league summit Monday morning, Shanahan was questioned about potential advantages in undertaking a 19- to 20-hour aerial journey to play the Rams in Week 1 for the NFL’s inaugural regular-season match in the Southern Hemisphere.
“I perceive no advantage,” the head coach of the Niners stated. “It’s commendable for the league to expand internationally. I find that remarkable. But concerning the team’s participation, no, there’s scant benefit to it. Sometimes it’s favorable to have a rest week subsequently but this arrangement is not feasible for the inaugural week.”
Certainly, the Niners will not receive a period of rest after the Australia game, which is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 10 at 8:35 p.m. ET. Due to the temporal disparity, that match will commence Friday, Sept. 11 at 10:35 a.m. local Melbourne time, with the 49ers then returning to the Bay Area following the event. Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will be the venue for the match.
While the 49ers are still arranging the travel details of the journey, they are anticipated to arrive in Australia five to seven days prior to the match, general manager John Lynch commented Sunday.
“Our departure might be somewhat sooner,” Lynch said. “They might be going later, but we’re trying to investigate all options to ensure maximum comfort. It’s kind of like there’s a cost associated with being a prominent team boasting numerous key players. The league desires our presence during peak viewing hours. They want to place us in particular circumstances. My experience has taught me the necessity of advocating. I unquestionably do so for our squad members, but eventually, these are the circumstances presented. Our aim is to optimize the outcome as much as achievable.”
The Rams, who are the host squad for the match, are also still finalizing their arrangements but are anticipated to arrive significantly nearer to the match commencement than the 49ers.
San Francisco vs. Los Angeles in Melbourne represents one of nine matchups within the league’s global agenda in 2026 with the 49ers also scheduled to welcome an unspecified rival in Mexico City in December.
“I was exceptionally enthusiastic,” Shanahan said, imbued with considerable irony. “Our objective was to travel nineteen hours to compete in a match. … We shall manage the situation. And I believe there are [nine] global fixtures. We are assigned two of these, thus, we are quite eager regarding that prospect.”