NFL in Paris: How the Royals could help bring the New Orleans Saints to Monaco

Holding a training camp in Monaco would certainly help boost Saints’ image in France ahead of a potential match in Paris.

The NFL conducted a site visit to the Stade de France and is set to announce its upcoming international matches.

“We fully support that bid and would love to play in that game,” Bensel said. “If we get a game in 2026 or 2027, we would like to do a big preparation period for that.

“But we’ve done enough work in the market that we can hit the switch and get ready.”

The Saints are in talks with the French Federation of American Football (FFFA) and plan to implement school football programs in five or six cities across France, as well as a league structure, before any match in Paris.

Benson also owns the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, so the Saints’ leadership group already has some media partners in France and knows that “the NBA is more popular than the NFL.”

“We did it with our eyes wide open,” Pensil added. “In the UK and Germany, they love the NFL. In France, not as much. We entered the market knowing that.”

The NFL is also discussing potential matches in the Middle East and Asia, while Ireland and Spain have staged their first matches of the season.

Brett Gosper, the NFL’s head of Europe and Asia Pacific, told BBC Sport that the league “has identified 13 markets that are our priority based on a number of criteria, and our aim is to invest in those markets because we believe there is a fan base. We believe there are partners who can increase our footprint.”

Gosper said international games “serve as a lightning rod for new audiences in the new markets we are expanding into.

“We just want to make sure all the elements are in place for those games to be successful when we enter those markets, and continue to operate them with a local presence as we move forward.”

Gosper offered some positive news for any fans hoping to play in Paris, or return to Dublin or Madrid.

“If we go to markets, it won’t be a one-time thing,” he said. “It may not be every year, but it won’t be a one-time thing.”