“We’re heading back to Mexico City in December, which, I think, is wonderful for our fans in Mexico. While they’ve been redoing the stadium for the World Cup, this will be a chance for us to get back there this December. We can’t wait for that. It’s the ambition that we have to be a global sport, but it’s also the demand that we’re having. We’re hearing from cities all over the world that want to host these games, and that really want to get more American football. That’s one of the things that we’re really focused on.”
Goodell said the NFL’s goal is to play 16 international games per season, so that each team has a regular-season international game.
“I think that’s an important mark for us to go for,” he said. “I think we’re well on our way, and hopefully with the desire that we have from our side but also the desire for people to have this in their communities. Some of the greatest cities in the world are asking, ‘Can we do this?’ And I think it’s now about saying, no, we can’t, we don’t’ have enough capacity or don’t have enough inventory.
“And we’re getting great reactions from our teams. They all want to play; our players loved it. One of the greatest things from last season was talking to our players and our coaches about how proud they were to be there and talk about the game, help globalize the game. They felt like ambassadors, I think, and they enjoyed the experience.”
Louisiana has had a strong bond with France dating to the 17th century, with its roots as a colony until the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Louisiana and New Orleans continue to share strong cultural and economic ties with France and Paris, the nation’s capital and largest city.
The Saints further strengthened this cultural bond in 2023, when the NFL awarded the club international marketing rights in France as part of the league’s Global Markets Program, making the Saints the first and only team to hold those rights in France.
In the summer of 2025, a contingent of Saints team officials, led by Benson, visited France to strengthen the connection between the team and fans abroad, participating in and sponsoring a series of community events.
The Saints have seen two victories abroad: a 2008 win against the San Diego Chargers and a 2017 victory over the Miami Dolphins, both in London. The team’s most recent international game was a 2022 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, also in London.