The New Orleans Saints have a showdown set for Paris during the 2026 season, and we now know the date, time and opponent.
The Saints will face off with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7. The game will take place on Oct. 25 at Stade De France with kickoff set for 8:30 a.m. (central). The league officially announced its nine-game international slate Wednesday morning, a day prior to the full schedule release for next season. Initial reports in French media erroneously named the Browns as the opponent.
"It is a privilege for the New Orleans Saints to take part in the NFL's first regular season game in France," said team owner Gayle Benson in a news release. "Louisiana's relationship with France is centuries deep, and this game represents another meaningful step in strengthening those cultural and economic ties."
The Saints are also planning a flag football event in France.
Pittsburgh makes an uncommon opponent for the Saints, but one with its own interesting subplots. The Steelers are embarking on a new head coaching era under Mike McCarthy, who took over the job following the departure of Mike Tomlin, who had held the job for 19 seasons. There's also a major question mark hovering over the quarterback position. It remains unclear whether Aaron Rodgers intends to play a 22nd NFL season or retire, and Pittsburgh didn't invest significantly in a replacement. Should Rodgers not play, Pittsburgh's top options at QB will be Mason Rudolph and Will Howard.
There will also be some notable staff connections. Kellen Moore was McCarthy's offensive coordinator for multiple seasons with the Cowboys. Current Saints QBs coach Scott Tolzien and OC Doug Nussmeier were also on that staff. Tolzien as well as current Saints TEs coach Chase Haslett were also in the mix for jobs on McCarthy's new staff, but opted to stay with the Saints.
The matchup will be the first NFL game held in France, a burgeoning market for the NFL as they continue to expand the league's footprint. The Saints have been laying the groundwork for multiple seasons after being granted sole marketing rights for the area.
The trip will mark the Saints' first international excursion since the 2022 season when they faced the Vikings in London. This will mark the Saints' fourth international game.
The full international slate is as follows:
WEEK 1
- Melbourne, Australia: 49ers vs Rams
WEEK 3
- Ri De Janeiro, Brazil: Ravens vs Cowboys
WEEKS 4-6
- London, England: Colts vs Commanders; Eagles vs Jaguars; Texans vs Jaguars
WEEK 7
- Paris, France: Steelers vs Saints
WEEK 9
- Madrid, Spain: Bengals vs Falcons
WEEK 10
- Munich, Germany: Patriots vs Lions
WEEK 11
- Mexico City, Mexico: Vikings vs 49ers
Saints season ticket holders will be able to opt in for a chance to purchase tickets thought the team's limited ticket allocation from the NFL. Opt-in forms will be emailed out and must be submitted prior to the deadline. If selected, season ticket holders will have the opportunity to purchase up to two tickets.
One question remaining is whether the Saints requested bye the week following the game. We'll find out that and more Thursday evening. Catch all the news, notes and analysis on WWL and Audacy.
