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Falcons down Saints to send Panthers to playoffs (1:03)
The Falcons hold on for a 19-17 win over the Saints which sends the Panthers to the playoffs. (1:03)
Katherine TerrellFeb 2, 2026, 11:11 AM ET
- Katherine Terrell came back to ESPN to cover the New Orleans Saints in the summer of 2022. She left the company in 2019 after joining in 2016 to cover the Cincinnati Bengals. Katherine is a graduate of LSU and a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native, and she has covered the NFL since 2013.
The New Orleans Saints will play in the NFL's first regular-season game in Paris during the 2026 season, the league announced Monday.
The game will be played at the Stade de France, France's national stadium.
"Bringing a regular season game to Paris in 2026 marks an exciting next step in the continued expansion of the league's global footprint," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "Paris is one of the world's greatest sporting and cultural cities with tremendous success in hosting global events that unite fans on the biggest stages. Playing our first‑ever regular season game at the impressive Stade de France, together with the New Orleans Saints, underlines our continued global growth ambitions and we look forward to bringing the NFL to our passionate fans in France."
The game has been several years in the making for the Saints, who were granted international marketing rights in France in 2023. Saints' owner Gayle Benson, linebacker Demario Davis and team officials visited Paris last summer to grow the team's brand in Paris. The Saints also have a partnership with the Paris Musketeers of the European League of Football.
"We are excited to be selected to play in the first regular season game to take place in France," Benson said in a statement. "This moment is special not only because of the strong cultural connection between Louisiana and France, but also because we will compete before a growing Saints fan base in Paris."
The Saints' opponent in the game will be announced when the NFL reveals its full schedule in the spring.
"Mrs. Benson has been working the French government and the US Ambassador to France for the past three years on the potential of the Saints playing a regular season game in Paris," Saints senior president Greg Bensel told ESPN. "While the announcement today confirms that we will be playing a regular season game in Paris at Stade de France, we have not been informed of a date nor opponent at this time."
This year for its international slate, the NFL also is set to play games in Melbourne, Australia, Rio de Janeiro, Munich, Madrid, Spain, and London, where three games will take place.
