MELBOURNE, Australia -- Since the San Francisco 49ers returned to the Super Bowl after the 2019 season, linebacker Fred Warner has grown used to seeing 49ers fans on the road. But never has the fanbase faced a travel test like Thursday night's season opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia -- almost 8,000 miles and a 16-hour flight from San Francisco.

"The hope is that it's a sea of red," Warner said. "The faithful, in my opinion, are the best fans in the world."

According to Charlotte Offord, the NFL's general manager of Australia and New Zealand, the 49ers are the most popular team in Australia. Offord believes the love stems from the 1980s and '90s dynasty. "I think that comes from history, the Montana days, the Jerry Rice days," Offord said.

The league ran a register for interest in the game; 175,000 people signed up for a game at the 100,000-seat Melbourne Cricket Ground. Tickets sold out in about two hours. The league says 48% of ticket buyers came from overseas or another Australian state, with 10-12% from the United States.