AFLE CONFIRMS PARIS TEAM

American football in Paris is set to enter a new — and potentially contentious — chapter following the announcement of a new American Football League of Europe franchise in the French capital.

With the AFLE positioning itself as a rival to the established European League of Football (ELF), the move is seen as both bold and brazen. Operating under the provisional name Paris American Football Team, the project will now go head-to-head with the ELF’s Paris Musketeers, raising immediate questions about market saturation and strategic intent.

Led by French entrepreneurs Frantzy Dorlean and Marc Angelo Soumah, the AFLE’s Paris project is being hailed as a major milestone for the development of American football in France and across Europe. The stated ambition is to build a competitive, modern organisation rooted in the Paris region and capable of elevating the sport’s profile while inspiring a new generation of players and fans — something the Musketeers have been doing successfully throughout their short history.

The move could also be seen as a direct affront to Musketeers owner John McKeon, who spearheaded the breakaway European Football Alliance and the subsequent reunion of the majority of its members with the ELF last month. Four outliers — Rhein, Berlin, Wroclaw and Vienna — remained and subsequently formed the AFLE, which this week announced the addition of Swiss team Alpine Rams as partial fulfilment of claims to have expansion franchises lined up in Switzerland, France, Monaco, Italy and England.

Key details — including the new team’s official name, visual identity, home stadium and strategic partners — are expected to be revealed in the coming months, with the franchise announcing that its name and logo will be unveiled on Super Bowl Sunday (8th February 2026).

Behind the scenes, work is already underway on player recruitment, operational structures and preparations for what is being billed as a historic inaugural season. However, the decision to target Paris rather than an alternative French market is likely to prompt debate as the AFLE continues to go hard in defining its identity and competitive positioning against the ELF.