San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan expects a dominant fan turnout at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the NFL’s historic regular-season opener in Australia against the Los Angeles Rams, despite initially criticizing the league for scheduling the divisional clash abroad.
The San Francisco 49ers arrived in Melbourne after a 15-hour charter flight carrying a 200-member traveling party, landing on Friday morning to begin preparations to acclimate ahead of kickoff. While the Los Angeles Rams hold designated home-team status for the landmark international fixture, head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed frustration during a Sunday press conference that his team was forced to relinquish a domestic home game at SoFi Stadium, where 49ers supporters regularly create a hostile environment for the Rams.
Kyle Shanahan Expects Faithful Takeover at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Shanahan admitted that his early misgivings about playing abroad stemmed from losing a valuable home-field advantage within the NFC West. According to reporting from the San Francisco Standard, the coach argued that the league let the Rams off the hook by selecting this specific annual matchup for the international series to avoid another stadium takeover in Los Angeles.
“That’s just about um competition and how important our 17 games are. We always have an advantage, having one–I see it as one–home game a year in LA. Just the way our fans are and take over that stadium. So, it was disappointing to let them off the hook and get them out of that.” — Kyle Shanahan, Head Coach, San Francisco 49ers
Since Shanahan took over as the 49ers coach in 2017 his club is 7-2 in nine regular season games vs. the Rams at SoFi Stadium, supported by crowds so loud that the Rams offense has had to go to a silent count at home. Yet, after spending several days immersed in Melbourne, Shanahan softened his stance on the overseas venue, explaining on Sunday (Monday in Australia) that it was “nothing” against the locale.
“Knowing how our fans roll, I have a feeling they won’t be much different here. I expect to have a good showing. I wouldn’t say it hit me right on the plane, but after being here for a couple days, this is the right time to be here, it’s the right place to be, and it’s the right team to go against.” — Kyle Shanahan, Head Coach, San Francisco 49ers
Shanahan also admitted he’s still adjusting to the accent before anything else. I haven't picked up on it. I actually struggle with accents — not that good at hearing it, but it's actually close,
Shanahan said, adding, I went to France earlier this offseason and I really struggled with an English and a French accent. I do OK with English and Australian accents, so I've understood people much better. But I haven't been out enough.
On the fan turnout specifically, Shanahan noted, I haven't been out that much, but from what I've seen, what I've heard, it sounds pretty cool — we get pretty good support around the world,
and added, “Everywhere we travel in the U.S., our fans travel better to me than any other team. This is a little bit farther for them, but I still have a feeling a lot of guys are traveling out here from the Bay. Just driving in on the bus and stuff, I’ve seen a lot more Niner jerseys.”
Global Fan Presence and Divergent Travel Strategies in Australia
The Los Angeles Rams vs San Francisco 49ers game in Melbourne, Australia (2026) is the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia, making this matchup a landmark for the league and for international fans. The Rams will cheer their team as the designated home side at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Because it will be played at the MCG, the event will feel massive and historic, while 49ers supporters cross the Pacific to create a fierce road presence. On Location has rolled out Priority Access deposit packages for fans who want premium seats and guided tours.
Shanahan joked during his press conference about not divulging the 49ers’ injuries until the following day, since they are technically in the future,
while the Rams were in the present.
Meanwhile, as Shanahan and the 49ers hunkered down in Melbourne, the team prepared to face Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams.
Division Standings and International Stakes for the NFL
Beyond the novelty of the league’s first regular-season game in Australia, it really is a consequential game, given the impact of the outcome on the tiebreakers within the division. Arguably, a game like that shouldn’t be part of the international series, but if the Rams gave up their supposed home-field advantage against the 49ers in order to avoid the embarrassment of having red far outnumber blue in the L.A. venue, it apparently won’t be much different for the NFL’s first-ever game in Australia.
