
The New Orleans Saints have had a few international games over the years, with 2008, 2017, and 2022 matchups in London. The NFL has had a clear vision to push further into the international market in recent years, tying teams to respective countries to try and build strong followings for those teams in other nations, and so far, it has worked quite well.
Many teams got a few markets, but were paired up with others trying to vie for the same nation. The Saints were awarded just one when it came to the Global Markets Program in 2025, but that one was France, which is an absolutely enormous country to explore on their own. It makes total sense given the deep-seated French culture throughout Louisiana, and gives them an opportunity to expand their fandom further into Europe.
Linebacker Demario Davis was the ambassador of this program for the Saints, travelling to Paris to bridge the gap across the Atlantic Ocean. Locked on Saints host Ross Jacksonhighlighted Davis’ comments from his media appearance, where the legendary linebacker said he felt he was representing the team when he made the trip over to Paris, and is now doing the inverse when coming back to Louisiana. He is also pushing for a game in France for the Saints, which would be a huge chance to bolster their international outreach.
In the same press conference, Davis expressed gratitude for the support he’s received from the Saints fanbase and his recent experience overseas.
“The energy was,” Davis began, “Our fans are always great. I think, it’s no secret, New Orleans has the best fans in the world, and I think it’s just because they genuinely care about the state of the team, they care, they watch it, they care about the position battles, they care about the coaching, they care about the personnel that’s being brought in.
“Like its not just fans that show up on Sunday, it’s fans who are watching the transactions, they’re watching the practices, they’re watching progressions, and I think because we have a fanbase that’s tapped in like that, it’s always gonna be love, and it’s no different today.”
Now he returns to Louisiana for training camp, but will continue to push for more international outreach, as the Saints look to land a game abroad in 2026. With three seasons between then and their last game across the pond, there is plenty of opportunity for them to pick one up as the NFL chooses who they believe should make an impact in Europe each season.
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