The New Orleans Saints will host the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day this year, marking the NFL's first Friday game since 2009.

It'll be just the 11th NFL game played on a Friday since the 1970 merger.

"There was some Christmas magic involved here," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. "Another Saint, St. Nick, put in the request for that game as an extra present."

The matchup could have significant NFC playoff implications. This will be the fifth meeting between the Saints and Vikings in the past four years, including playoff wins by Minnesota in both the 2017 and 2019 seasons.