Kyle Shanahan Accuses Rams of Using 49ers Game in Australia to Combat Crowds, Reveals Revenge Plans

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan accused the Los Angeles Rams of lobbying to play his team in Australia in order to combat crowds filled with 49ers fans at SoFi Stadium.

"I know for a fact they did," Shanahan said during a Tuesday appearance on Pro Football Talk (19:55 mark). "That's why it's so bothersome. So hopefully the league will do right and let us play the Rams in Mexico since we gotta go out of the country twice and they requested us. I'm requesting them in Mexico. Not that it gives us an advantage, but it's fair to make them go out of the country twice too."

"I get that, that would suck to have to do silent cadence and to have our home game at their stadium," he added. "So I get their ambition."

The Rams and 49ers will face off in Melbourne, Australia during Week 1 of the 2026 season with Los Angeles serving as the designated home team.

It marks the first of two international games for San Francisco in 2026, as Shanahan's squad will also host a contest in Mexico City. The 49ers' opponent is still to be determined.

While San Francisco's season-opening clash with Los Angeles represents the NFL's first regular-season game played in Australia, Shanahan didn't see many benefits to the matchup.

"I don't see any pro," Shanahan told reporters Monday. "It's cool for the league to play globally. I think that's awesome. But as far as the team doing it, no, there's not much benefit to it. Sometimes it's nice to get a bye week after but doesn't happen in Week 1."

While it's unknown if the Rams officially requested to face the 49ers in an international contest to avoid opposing fans, it's worth noting that San Francisco's supporters have had a large presence at SoFi Stadium in recent years.

The two NFC West rivals met in the stadium during Week 5 of the 2025 season, with the 49ers securing a 26-23 win in overtime.

Following Shanahan's latest comments, both teams could be more fired up than usual heading into Week 1.