The NFL will play its first regular season game in France with the Saints in 2026
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The NFL will play its first regular season game in France next season with the New Orleans Saints traveling to Paris later this year.
The league on Monday announced plans to play one game at the Stade de France next season, as well as a multi-year deal to continue playing regular season games at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Announcement
The NFL has already announced its first game in Australia next season with the Los Angeles Rams hosting that game, as well as games in Rio de Janeiro, Munich and three in London. The league could also return to Mexico City next season.
The addition of Australia and France will mean NFL games will be played in nine countries outside the United States after next season.
The NFL says it has played 62 regular season games outside the United States so far, with London, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dublin, Sao Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto as hosts.
The Saints will face an opponent to be determined after the schedule is finalized later this year. The Saints hold international marketing rights in France as part of the NFL’s Global Markets program.
Announcement
“Bringing a regular season game to Paris in 2026 marks an exciting next step in the continued expansion of the league’s global presence,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Paris is one of the world’s leading sporting and cultural cities, with enormous success in hosting global events that unite fans on the biggest stages. Playing our first regular season game at the stunning Stade de France, alongside the New Orleans Saints, underlines our continued ambitions for global growth and we look forward to bringing the NFL to our passionate fans in France.”
Saints owner Gayle Benson said she was excited to play in France, citing the “strong cultural connection between Louisiana and France.”
The Stade de France was built in 1998 when the country hosted the World Cup. It was also used for the 2024 Olympics and has hosted numerous major international sporting events.
The NFL says it has more than 14 million fans in France and launched a flag football program there in 2023 that already reaches more than 8,000 boys and girls.
Announcement
The NFL has not announced any of the teams for the game in Spain. The Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears currently hold marketing rights in Spain as part of the league’s Global Markets Program.
The first NFL regular season game in Spain was played at the Bernabeu last November when the Dolphins defeated the Washington Commanders 16-13 in overtime in front of a crowd of 78,610 fans.
Rafa De Los Santos, country manager of NFL Spain, said the multi-year agreement to play in Madrid “underlines our commitment to the market and allows us to continue to engage fans year-round and invest long-term in initiatives such as NFL Flag and youth participation.”
The NFL said Spain is “an important market globally,” with 11 million fans. He said he will also focus on developing the league’s flag football initiatives across the country.
Announcement
After the first match in Madrid last year, there was also talk of an attempt by the league to organize a match in Barcelona.
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AP Sports Writer Talez Azzoni in Madrid contributed to this report
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