Goodell Targets 16 International Games As NFL Makes French Debut

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell

Roger Goodell says NFL's first regular-season game in France between Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints is just the beginning of long-term plan.

NFL not in Paris for one-off, says Goodell ahead of historic French game...

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he is optimistic about the league's long-term future in France ahead of the country's first-ever regular-season game.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints are set to meet in Paris this weekend as the NFL continues its international push, even with authorities preparing for more protests following last weekend's riots and street violence across France.

A record nine NFL games will be staged outside the United States this year, with Paris joining Melbourne and Rio de Janeiro as new host cities.

Goodell said the French capital is key to the league’s long-term vision and hinted that Sunday’s matchup will be the first of many.

“We're not announcing anything because we always like to get through the first one and the second one before we do. We are not coming here as a one-off,” Goodell said.

“This is part of our efforts long-term to be successful. We're going to be here and be part of the culture. This is just the beginning.”

The NFL is looking to capitalise on the rising popularity of American sports in France, where the NBA has already held several regular-season games in recent years.

Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs faced the Indiana Pacers in a two-game series in Paris last season and are due to return in January 2027.

Goodell said France's strong sporting culture and Paris's global profile made it a natural market for the NFL.

“We have a very strong fan base here that is growing, and we want to see it accelerate and continue to grow. The iconic nature of this city is amazing," he said.

“It is one of the international cities that if you're going to be global, you want to play in and you want to be a part of. We don't want to just play here. We want to be part of the culture.

“We believe we should be a global sport. We think we can. Relationships with cities like Paris and markets like France are really important ultimately to our growth,” he added.

Goodell ultimately wants to see as many as 16 international games per season, with every franchise playing abroad each year.

“We have ambitions to play 16 games (outside the US). We look at it - more than (one game) per week - it's really having every team participate in an international game in a given year,” he said.

“And since we have 32 teams, that works out pretty well having 16 games. And I think that's ultimately what we're focused on. We're at nine now. We're looking at expanding even beyond that.”

A Sunday matchup in Paris 🇫🇷 PITvsNO – Sunday 9:30am ET on NFL Network Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/bn2SPpugmd

— NFL (@NFL) October 23, 2026

Goodell even floated the idea of staging a Super Bowl outside the US if the league eventually establishes a franchise overseas.

“Is it possible someday there'll be an NFL franchise in Paris? Yes, I do. I do think that's possible. And if that is possible, potentially a Super Bowl is possible too,” he said.