Stade de France performed host to the 2024 Olympics, and now an NFL sport that includes the Saints will probably be performed there. (Picture by David Ramos/Getty Pictures)
The NFL will play its first regular-season game ever in France next season with the New Orleans Saints set to travel to Paris later this year.
The league on Monday announced plans to play a game at the Stade de France next season in addition to a multiyear deal to keep playing regular-season games at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
The NFL has already announced its first game in Australia next season with the Los Angeles Rams set to host that game, as well as games in Rio de Janeiro, Munich, and three in London. The league also could return to Mexico City next season.
The additions of Australia and France will mean NFL games will have been played in nine countries outside of the United States after next season.
The NFL says it has played 62 regular-season games outside the U.S. so far, with London, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dublin, Sao Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto as hosts.
The Saints will play an opponent to be determined after the schedule is finalized later this year. The Saints have international marketing rights in France as part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program.
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“Bringing an everyday season sport to Paris in 2026 marks an thrilling subsequent step within the continued growth of the league’s world footprint,” Commissioner Roger Goodell mentioned in an announcement. “Paris is among the world’s biggest sporting and cultural cities with great success in internet hosting world occasions that unite followers on the most important levels. Enjoying our first‑ever common season sport on the spectacular Stade de France, along with the New Orleans Saints, underlines our continued world progress ambitions and we stay up for bringing the NFL to our passionate followers in France.”
Saints proprietor Gayle Benson mentioned she is worked up to play in France, citing the “sturdy cultural connection between Louisiana and France.”
The Stade de France was inbuilt 1998 when the nation hosted the World Cup. It was additionally used for the 2024 Olympics and has hosted a number of main worldwide sporting occasions.
The NFL says it has greater than 14 million followers in France and launched a flag soccer program there in 2023 that already reaches greater than 8,000 girls and boys.
The NFL didn’t announce any of the groups for the sport in Spain. The Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears at the moment have advertising and marketing rights in Spain as a part of the league’s World Markets Program.
The primary NFL regular-season sport in Spain was performed on the Bernabeu final November because the Dolphins defeated the Washington Commanders 16-13 in time beyond regulation earlier than a crowd of 78,610 followers.
NFL Spain nation supervisor Rafa De Los Santos mentioned the multiyear settlement to enjoying video games in Madrid “underlines our dedication to the market and permits us to proceed to interact followers year-round and make investments long-term in initiatives like NFL Flag and youth participation.”
The NFL mentioned Spain is “an necessary market globally,” with 11 million followers. It mentioned it’ll additionally concentrate on creating the league’s flag soccer initiatives throughout the nation.
After the primary sport in Madrid final yr, there had additionally been talks of the league additionally making an attempt to prepare a sport in Barcelona sooner or later.
Reporting by The Related Press.
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