The National Football League (NFL) will take a new major step in its international development by playing, for the first time in its history, a regular season match in Paris in 2026. An emblematic announcement which is part of the League’s desire to extend its number of international matches around the world.
This historic match in France will be held at the iconic Stade de France and national stadium, with the New Orleans Saints named as one of the participating teams.
THE NFL IN FRANCE
The NFL benefits from a growing presence in France, with more than 14 million fans. Flag football, a non-contact version of the discipline, will make its debut as an Olympic sport during the Los Angeles 2028 Games (LA28). NFL Flag, the league’s official youth flag football program, was launched in France in 2023 in partnership with the FFFA and already reaches more than 8,000 young people, both girls and boys, with the ambition to further expand participation in the years to come.
A SETTING MATCHING THE EVENT
Inaugurated in 1998, the Stade de France has established itself as the arena for major sporting and cultural events. A multifunctional venue, it hosts major international sporting and cultural events and is the resident stadium for the French national football and rugby teams. It is the only stadium in the world to have hosted a FIFA World Cup, a Rugby World Cup, UEFA Champions League finals, UEFA European Championship finals, and to have played a major role in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
THE NFL AROUND THE WORLD
To date, 62 NFL regular season games have been played outside the United States, bringing to life iconic cities like London, Berlin, Munich, Madrid, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto. Today, Paris in turn joins this circle of great sporting capitals, further affirming its status as a major international scene, driven by a rich sporting culture.
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The full game schedule, including opposing team, kickoff date and time, will be announced when the 2026 NFL schedule is revealed this spring.
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