San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan speaks at a press conference ahead of the first NFL game in Australia, at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, in Melbourne, Australia, September 7,2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Ian Ransom

The San Francisco 49ers' season opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Australia is drawing ever closer.

The 49ers are already in Australia, acclimatizing to their surroundings, while the Rams have yet to leave Los Angeles.

With both teams preparing to open their seasons some 16 hours away from SoFi Stadium, Kyle Shanahan’s comments on the unusual circumstances surrounding the matchup provide both humour and a fair dose of truth.

Ironically, despite being the designated away team for the game, the 49ers are the team already in Melbourne and are completing all the media and ambassadorial duties for the NFL.

While it is fantastic to see the intrigue and hype surrounding the NFL’s arrival in a new country and territory, there is still a humorous side to the matchup. Shanahan previously said that he believed the Rams had lobbied for the 49ers to be their opponents in Australia.

“When I said that, that was nothing against Australia or anything. That’s just about competition and how important our 17 games are," Shanahan told reporters.

"It’s cool for us, just we always have an advantage of having one, I see it as one home game a year in L.A. 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.

"But, I have a feeling 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.”

He’s not wrong, though. The fact that 49ers fans have regularly outnumbered Rams supporters at their own stadium will be avoided this season, but that doesn’t mean San Francisco’s travelling support won’t make its presence felt in Australia.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground is one of the world’s most iconic sporting venues, with so much history across a wide range of sports, and it could provide the perfect stage for another show of 49ers fan power.

The season opener will commence on Friday morning in Melbourne, while it will be Thursday night back in California. A winning start would be the perfect way for San Francisco to begin the new season.