Ahead of the NFL’s first international game in Australia, Los Angeles Rams star Jared Verse has called out divisional rivals, the San Francisco 49ers.

The Rams and the 49ers are part of one of the league’s most competitive rivalries in recent years, with both teams pushing for the Super Bowl each season. Ahead of their game in Melbourne, Verse has issued a strong statement regarding his NFC West rivals and how he wants to beat the Niners down under.

“We take things really serious. So, whenever we play them, it’s like the biggest beef,” Verse remarked.

“We don’t say, ‘Hi’ to each other pre-game. We’re talking trash to each other. There’s no dap-ups, there’s no high-fives, there’s nothing like that. They walk by me, I walk by them. So, now we gotta go all the way to Australia to do this, it’s gonna be even a higher level. Because now, when we beat them, I can say, ‘I’m beating your ‘A’ outside the country, too. It don’t even gotta just be in LA, in San Francisco; I can beat you anywhere we go.”

Jared Verse referred to 49ers defenders Tatum Bethune and Renardo Green, who were his teammates while playing for the Florida State Seminoles. Whenever they battle each other in the NFL, there aren’t pleasantries between them. That is also fueled by the heated rivalry shared by the Rams and Niners.

Historically, the 49ers lead the all-time series 79-72-3 across 154 meetings against the Rams. San Francisco maintained its dominance from 2019 to 2023 by winning nine straight regular-season matchups.

However, over the last two seasons, the Rams have some bragging rights after winning four of the last five matchups.

With both teams splitting the regular-season series last year, the 2026 season opener presents NFL fans with an incredible opportunity to witness who sets the tone for the new year.

With his comments, Verse also took a subtle shot at 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, who has publicly criticized the NFL’s decision to schedule their first game of the season in Australia while having another international game later in the season.

The 49ers’ head coach isn’t thrilled about playing in Australia

While there’s global excitement about the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams playing their 2026 season opener at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia, head coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t chuffed about the idea.

Shanahan is primarily concerned about how his team will have to take a 19- to 20-hour flight and then return to the States to play in Week 2, as there’s no bye week after the first game.

“I don’t see any pro,” the 49ers coach said at the NFL annual meeting, per ESPN.

“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 (it) doesn’t happen in Week 1.”

Yet, in reality, the Rams and 49ers will take their heated rivalry to Melbourne on September 11, 2026. With Jared Verse’s bold words, this matchup is also part of the Rams’ international marketing rights in Australia, driven by the desire to play a “home” game outside of California, where they frequently face 49ers fans in their own stadium.

The intensity won’t drop despite the change in setting.