49ers-Rams Set to Make NFL History at Iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground

The Melbourne Cricket Ground, widely recognized as the most iconic stadium in Australia, has hosted some of the most prestigious sporting events in the world and is getting ready to host its first-ever NFL game when the 49ers and Rams kick off their regular season in a fierce NFC West division matchup.

The 100,000-capacity stadium has hosted Cricket World Cups, AFC Asian Cup games and Olympic events, and is a staple in the Australian Football League, as it hosts its championship every year. It’s also recognized as the birthplace of Test cricket, as it hosted the first-ever Test cricket match between Australia and England in 1877.

The stadium has also hosted major celebrities, including visits from Queen Elizabeth II and Pope John Paul II, as well as major concerts from the likes of Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and Taylor Swift. The stadium is significant far beyond just a sporting context in Australia.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground will become one of the most unique hosts of an NFL game, as the stadium had to go through some conversion because it is an oval-shaped field that’s about 190 yards long and 163 yards wide, compared to a typical NFL field, which is 120 yards long and about 53 yards wide. The rectangular football field will be shaped within the long oval, which will create an unusual display for fans traveling from America, as they will be farther away from the field than at a typical NFL game.

Soccer fans are occasionally used to this distance, as there are certain stadiums that host soccer games with tracks between the stands and the field. That is not the case for any NFL stadium, so the distance between the crowd and the field will create a unique atmosphere.

History will be made on Thursday night, or Friday in Australia, when the Niners take on the Rams, as the Melbourne Cricket Ground will become the oldest venue to host an NFL game. The stadium is over 170 years old, as it opened in 1853.

The oldest active NFL stadium is Soldier Field in Chicago, which opened in 1924. An iconic and historic part of Australian sports will now write a chapter in the history of the NFL, as the league continues to expand itself on the global stage, with Australia becoming the first of seven international countries hosting games, while Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain and the UK are also set to host games this season.

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