BERTRAND GUAY / AFP
The Stade de France (here during the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games) will host in the fall of 2026 the very first NFL regular season match organized in France.
This is a historic first for American football in France. The NFL (the American football league) formalized this Monday, February 2, the organization of the first regular season match in its history in France: this will be played in the fall of 2026 at the Stade de France. The meeting will pit the New Orleans Saints to Cleveland Brownswithin the grounds of Saint-Denis, capable of accommodating nearly 80,000 spectators.
The precise date, the kick-off time and the complete poster were intended to be revealed when the calendar was revealed NFL 2026 in spring. But several concordant sources confirmed by RMC Sport et The Team claim the match will be held on October 25, 2026.
Long mentioned, the arrival of the NFL in France had been awaited for years by fans. According to the League, France now represents the third European market for American football, behind Germany and the United Kingdom. Brett Gosper, NFL director of Europe and Asia-Pacific, speaks to theAFP “some 14 million fans” In France.
The success of the meetings relocated elsewhere in Europe served as a trigger. THE ” success “ outsourced meetings in London, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt constituted “the spark we needed” to expand to new countries, he explains. And to insist: “ For many criteria, it would have been good to come earlier, but we are coming now for good reasons. Our intention is not to have a match and leave. This is an important market for us. »
And « mini Super Bowl » in Paris
For this great first, the NFL don’t plan to do things by halves. Brett Gosper promises a « mini Super Bowl »with a whole week of activities around the match. “We want to have a “boom” for the first match. There will be a halftime show, lots of events”he explains. The objective goes far beyond a simple sporting event. “The match itself is not the goal. It’s the catalyst, it’s the starting point for increased investment in the market.”still affirms the leader.
Since 2005, 62 regular season matches have already been relocated outside the United States. And the pace will accelerate further. In addition to Paris, the NFL announced meetings in Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, Munich, Madrid and London.
