Charlie Smyth's game-winner for Saints is 'dream scenario' for Northern Irish kicker

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Barely 27 months after he kicked an American football for the first time, Northern Ireland native Charlie Smyth drilled a game-winning field goal in the NFL.

His 47-yarder with 2 seconds left on Sunday gave the New Orleans Saints their first lead and handed the Carolina Panthers a 20-17 loss that was as excruciating for them as it was exhilarating for him.

“I was just delighted to get the opportunity,” said Smyth, who was serenaded with chants of “Charlie, Charlie” in the locker room after receiving a game ball from coach Kellen Moore. “It was a good moment and one I’ll never forget. I’m pretty ecstatic right now, to be honest.”

The 24-year-old Smyth graduated college as a primary school teacher in the summer of 2023, with his only kicking experience coming in Gaelic football as a goalkeeper. He signed up for a master’s program in Belfast, but ended up pursuing the NFL instead, joining the league’s International Player Pathway Program.

“If you told me I’d be kicking in a game in the NFL, I probably would have laughed at you,” he said. “Just the way things panned out, it’s been really a dream scenario.”

During the 2024 preseason, Smyth hit a 37-yard field goal with 5 seconds left to beat Arizona and ended up on the practice squad. After the Saints cut Blake Grupe three weeks ago, Smyth was promoted to the active roster for the first time in Week 13 at Miami, where he made a 56-yard field goal in his first attempt.

That one came in a loss. His latest kick gave the Saints their second consecutive win after they started 2-10.

“The outside world would say there’s a lot of pressure on you, but I’d like to say I embrace those moments,” Smyth said. “It’s just up to you to go out and execute everything you’ve been practicing the last two years.”

His teammates felt his confidence.

“We had no doubt,” said rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, who guided the Saints 62 yards to set up Smyth’s kick. “He does that every single day in practice. You’ve got to have a level of cold-bloodedness to play that position. I think everybody knew what the result was going to be.”

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New Orleans Saints placekicker Charlie Smyth (39) kicks a field goal in the second half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Ella Hall)

New Orleans Saints placekicker Charlie Smyth (39) runs off the field after an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

New Orleans Saints place-kicker Charlie Smyth (39) and teammates celebrate after field goal in the second half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Ella Hall)

New Orleans Saints placekicker Charlie Smyth (39) kicks a field goal to win the game in the second half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A combined missile and drone attack on the Kyiv region killed at least four people and wounded at least 15 overnight into Saturday, according to the head of the regional administration for the Ukrainian capital.

Three of the wounded were in critical condition, of whom two were undergoing surgery, Mykola Kalashnyk reported on Saturday. The attack hit four districts, damaging residential buildings, educational institutions, enterprises and critical infrastructure, Kalashnyk added in a social media post.

The strikes came days after the U.S. postponed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine scheduled for this week, citing the war in the Middle East.

As U.S. and Israeli missiles and bombs rain on Iran, Russia has responded with words of indignation but no action to support its ally. Moscow’s failure to help another ally, after the 2024 ouster of former Syrian ruler Bashar Assad and January’s U.S. arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, highlighted the limits of its influence — but the Kremlin expects to reap benefits from the Iran war.

Russia is already profiting from a surge in global energy prices, and could hope that the Mideast war will detract attention from Ukraine and deplete Western arsenals.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that the 30-day U.S. waiver on Russian oil sanctions amid the Iran war is “not the right decision” and won’t help bring a stop to Russia’s more than 4-year-old invasion of Ukraine.

“This easing alone by the United States could provide Russia with about $10 billion for the war,” Zelenskyy said. “This certainly does not help peace.”

Earlier this week, Russian and Ukrainian officials both claimed front-line progress, with Ukraine saying it pushed Moscow’s forces back across places on the front line and the Kremlin insisting Russia’s invasion of its neighbor is making progress.

Meanwhile, Russia’s almost daily attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas have continued.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a joint presser with France's President Emmanuel Macron, not pictured, following a bilateral meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, Friday March 13, 2026. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)