NFL affiliation lifts American football in France, says French Federation President Frederic Paquet

Time of India

a day ago

Having an
franchise such as the New Orleans Saints in Paris is a benchmark for the development of American football in France, opines French Federation of American Football President Frederic Paquet.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
With the Paris Musketeers taking on the Vienna Vikings in a pivotal European League of Football match, Frederic Paquet opines that being an NFL franchise lends legitimacy to the sport's spread across the country and hastens its pace.
New Orleans Saints visit gives American football in France exposure and legitimacy
The arrival of New Orleans Saints representatives in Paris, including linebacker Demario Davis, was a turning point in the development of the sport in France. Their visit coincided with the Paris Musketeers' headline game against the Vienna Vikings, and an event staged jointly at the U.S.
Embassy gave visiting players like Frederic Paquet the chance to show the way that American football is slowly building support in France.
To Frederic Paquet, having an NFL franchise is more than just bragging rights. "Everything that unites us, fans of American football, flag football, and even cheerleading—that's the federation's objective. In fact, we have this culture, this attachment to American sports culture, this American lifestyle.
So everything brings us together and, naturally, we're all drawn to the United States, or at least to a part of it.
When I say the United States, I mean the American sporting culture, which is all around us," he said.
The NFL, as Frederic Paquet pointed out, has resources, visibility, and developmental structure—something the local French ecosystem has traditionally lacked. New Orleans Saints and Paris Musketeers management both emphasized that this is not an isolated publicity event.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
It's about creating grassroots programs, such as flag football, and helping children in urban France find new opportunities through the medium of sport.
"When it comes to American football, if the NFL supports what we're doing, it's much more credible. And then, it's a development power; it's a project power. That's what I was saying about the young Manceaux players who created a team and went off to play in Orlando. That's what the NFL can do for us.
It's a power that we can't have on our own today," Paquet said. 'The Olympic Games are a bit like the NFL. In other words, it's a way of raising awareness, increasing power, and generating desire.
So it allows us to develop a high-level program for the flag. We hope this is just the first step. We hope that the IOC will renew the flag license for 2032. So it's also an opportunity to perhaps send young and older athletes to Los Angeles.
Initially, that wasn't possible. That's what American football and flag also create: the ability to forge links and create experiences that they wouldn't have had if they hadn't taken up this activity."
One of the most significant developments in the French American football infrastructure is the creation of the Paris Musketeers, which provides a critical bridge between amateur clubs and professional hopes. With existing talent like current player Anthony Mahoungou already on the team, and other prospects such as Marcelo gaining recognition, the Musketeers provide an in-between tier for those who dream of playing in the NCAA or NFL.
Paquet believes this was a long time in the making. 'We have Marcelo, who is also promising. We've got a few French players, and we've got a few young players who are in university leagues. That's why the Musketeers are so important, because they're in that intermediate stage before a move to the NCAA or even the NFL," he said.
Also read:
The collaboration of the NFL, the French Federation of American Football, and local franchises like the Paris Musketeers can be the beginning of something big for the sport in France. With global exposure, Olympic ambitions, and grassroots backing, Frederic Paquet's vision to legitimize American football in France is slowly taking shape, yard by yard.