The New Orleans Saints could be playing as one of the ‘home’ teams in next year’s NFL International Series — and opening up a new market for overseas games in the process.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Saints are poised to capitalise on their links with France, and Paris in particular, as early as next season, with suggestions that the capital could be the next addition to the International Series roster. The number of overseas NFL games swelled to seven in 2025, with the addition of Dublin and Madrid to the familiar venues in London, Sao Paulo and Germany, which took the travelling circus to Berlin for the first time after previous stops in both Munich and Frankfurt.

Melbourne is already on the slate for 2026 as Australia gets the first game outside of the Americas and Europe, and rumours abound about potential fixtures in Japan, China and the Middle East, as well as a likely return to Mexico once the 2026 FIFA World Cup releases its hold on the Estadio Azteca. Although Dublin and Madrid are yet to be confirmed for future dates, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has made positive noises about both following sell-out crowds at their debut events.

Goodell has also made no secret about expanding the International Series to 16 games, with each franchise expected to play one overseas matchup every season. This ambition would likely go hand-in-hand with the addition of an 18th regular season game, which is among the expected proposals for the next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The 2026 International Series slate is far from being finalised, and it would be no surprise to find Paris being added with immediate effect if Schefter’s sources — which predict an announcement ‘in the coming weeks’ — are accurate. Schefter has reported Saints president Dennis Lauscha as saying that ‘the NFL and stadium officials are currently finalising the deal’.

The Saints are the obvious — and, currently, only — option to serve as hosts for a game in France, as the sole holder of marketing rights for the country. While this is likely to change should a regular overseas game be secured, the team has already begun making inroads towards potential adoption as ‘France’s team’ by establishing strong links with the Paris Musketeers, one of the ten teams comprising the European Football Alliance.

The two clubs last year announced a ‘ground-breaking strategic partnership’ aimed at growing American football in Europe, and enhancing cross-continental fan interaction, with the Musketeers noting that joining forces with the Saints was a ‘significant milestone’ for the organisation ahead of co-branded events, youth football camps, cultural exchange programmes and fan and community engagements in both New Orleans and Paris. The Saints subsequently sent a delegation — including owner Gayle Benson and linebacker Demario Davis — to Paris in early July to take in a European game and reinforce the relationship with the Musketeers to media, local officials and fans, while a recent Instagram post by the French team revealed a reciprocal trip to ‘Saints country’ to continue building the alliance via ‘a mix of jazz, meetings, Parisian flair and American football under Louisiana sunshine’.

Paris is not short of world class venues for an NFL game, with the 81,000-capacity Stade de France being the only stadium in the world to have hosted both a FIFA World Cup and a Rugby World Cup final as well as major athletics events. The capital’s previous home for international showpieces, the Parc des Princes is now the home of European soccer champions Paris Saint-Germain but with a all-seater capacity of just under 48,000, is significantly smaller than its rival. Situated in the 16th arrondissement, it sits directly opposite erstwhile Musketeers home, the Stade Jean-Bouin.