The rumors are true! The New Orleans Saints will host a game in Paris in 2026. It’s a historic moment, as it’ll be the first game in league history in Paris. The chatter about the Saints playing in Paris had been around for a while, but it heated up last week.
There is one noticeable difference. The Saints’ opponent has yet to be named, same with the date. It was originally reported the Saints would face the Cleveland Browns on October 25. At this time, that is still to be determined. Don’t rule it out though. Reports of the Saints debuting new jerseys and helmets were reported then announced separately. There's still a good chance the Saints will be playing in Paris against the Browns on that date..
This move is a part of the NFL's efforts to expand the sport worldwide. For a long time, it was just England regularly hosing games. As years have gone on, other countries have begun to host games more regularly. Brazil recently got added to the list, and Paris may be on the way. For the Saints, this has never been a regular occurrence. They last played outside of the Sates in 2022 vs. the Vikings.
Saints connection in France only continues to grow
If any team was going to be in the first game in France, it had to be the New Orleans Saints. It makes too much sense from a cultural standpoint. It’s impossible to separate France from New Orleans history or the city’s present. Even the Saints logo traces back to the city’s French roots. To not include the Saints in the first game would have been malpractice.
The NFL isn’t ignorant to this, and they’ve been building up to this moment. This game in Paris only furthers the inroads already forming with the Saints and France. The Saints already have exclusive rights in France, meaning they're the only team with the rights to market in the country.
Just this past offseason Demario Davis and Gayle Benson took a flight to Paris to promote the Saints brands and dive into football in the country. One of the things Davis did is go to a flag football clinic. This trip felt like unofficial confirmation that a game was imminent.
It wouldn't be a shock to see the Saints become a part of these games regularly, depending on the frequency. It won't reach the level of the Jaguars having a second home in London, but it would likely be multiple games in Paris in the Saints' future.