The LA Chargers are already rumored to be playing in Brazil in 2025 and the door is now open for the Bolts to travel even further away from home in 2026 too.
The NFL announced Wednesday the Los Angeles Rams will host the first-ever game in Australia during the 2026 season. Who the Rams play has not been announced but the league could send LA's other team down under as well.
The NFC West and AFC West play each other in 2026 with the Rams hosting the Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Rams also host the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants as well as one NFC North and one AFC East team that will be decided by 2025 standings.
Chargers could play Rams in NFL's first Australia game
It is still unclear which NFL teams are playing in the international games in 2025 so it remains to be seen how long the league will wait to announce who the Rams will play in Australia. The NFL may wait until the Rams' opponents are set in stone but it may also establish a Week 1 matchup in 2026 before releasing the 2025 schedule.
This game would almost certainly have to happen in Week 1 of the 2026 season as putting it in the middle of the year would be too much of an ask for the Rams. This ensures the Rams are not playing any games ahead of time, and if the game is scheduled early in the week, can give Los Angeles ample time to rest for Week 2.
As far as the Chargers go, the Bolts do benefit from the other big-market teams who face the Rams in 2026. Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys would be massive draws if the league is trying to grow the game internationally.
However, with the travel being the farthest the league has done to this point, the NFL may look to send two West Coast teams to Australia. If that is the case, it would either have to be the Chargers or an NFC West foe.
If the Chargers play in Brazil in 2025 then it may decrease the likelihood of playing in Australia in 2026. Reports from Brazil indicate the Bolts will play in Brazil in 2025 but nothing has been confirmed by the NFL to this point.