NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell declared Friday that the league’s historic Australian debut will mark the beginning of a long-term commitment to the region, not just a single showcase event.
Speaking to media at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Goodell emphasized the NFL’s dedication to establishing a lasting presence in Australia ahead of the September 11 regular season matchup between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
“There’s no question that we’re going to be playing here again,” Goodell stated during his visit to the famous venue. “Our view is that we’re coming here for the long term. We don’t come as a one-offs. This isn’t a circus.”
The commissioner stressed the league’s serious investment in the Australian market, adding: “This is something that’s an investment in this, in this market and we believe that, this is long term and will be great for the NFL long term.”
When asked about the possibility of another game occurring by 2027, Goodell responded with a simple “It might.”
Demand for the inaugural Australian NFL game has exceeded expectations at the 100,000-capacity stadium. Goodell revealed that pre-sales were so robust the league could have completely sold out the event early, but officials deliberately held back tickets to ensure American fans could still purchase seats.
The commissioner expressed optimism about potentially breaking the NFL regular season attendance record of 105,121 fans, set when Dallas hosted the New York Giants in Arlington in 2009.
“We’re going to have to talk and see how many more seats we can get in there,” Goodell explained. “So I think the record is slightly over 100… but it’s going to be darn close and maybe we can get there.”
While excitement builds in Australia, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan previously voiced concerns about opening the 2026 season with the lengthy international trip, questioning the benefits for his team’s preparation.
Goodell acknowledged the coach’s perspective as completely reasonable given his primary responsibility to win games.
“Coach Shanahan is enthusiastic and a great football coach, but also someone who truly understands the importance of expanding our game globally. But his job is to win,” Goodell said.
The commissioner promised to create an exceptional experience for both teams while maintaining competitive integrity, noting: “We’re going to make it a great experience for the team… (but) they got to make sure that they’re able to continue the competitiveness because this game is real, this counts and they’ll go on a week two as soon as they leave here.”
