The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints kicked off their game at the Stade de France on Sunday, proceeding with the match despite a weekend of widespread civil unrest and security concerns in France. The league had planned the event for months, and officials maintained their commitment to play even as protests escalated across the country. The kickoff occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. Paris time, or 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time in the United States. The stadium, located about nine miles north of the Eiffel Tower, was near capacity when the game began.
The decision to play followed a turbulent Saturday in which a government estimate placed the number of protesters at 110,000. The crowd included students, workers, farmers, socialists, communists, pro-Palestine Muslims, anarchists, Antifa members, and other radicals. These groups marched and clashed with police, causing significant civil unrest. The violence led to the cancellation of three official fan events planned by the NFL and the teams. Police reported nearly 1,000 arrests across France during this period, with officials stating they found potential weapons on some protesters.
Calls to postpone or relocate the game came from various quarters, including pundits, at least one player's wife, and President Donald Trump. Trump admitted he was worried about the situation and suggested the NFL could have postponed the match. Paris Saint-Germain also rescheduled its Saturday soccer match to Monday due to the unrest, which fueled further calls for the NFL to cancel its game. Despite this, the NFL responded to inquiries about playing with a single word: "Yes."
NFL executive vice president for Club Business and International Peter O'Reilly stated last week that the league was vigilant about the situation but confident the game would proceed. He expressed confidence in the operational and security plans. Commissioner Roger Goodell informed reporters that he had been in contact with the U.S. Department of State and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio confirmed that both the U.S. Embassy and France believed the game would be fine.
The security presence at the Stade de France was heavier than at any previous NFL regular-season game. However, it remains unknown whether the game faced any credible security threats prior to kickoff. Emails sent to the league's security department and the Prefecture de Police de Paris had not been answered by publication time.
The incident adds to a growing number of players questioning the league's embrace of international games. This follows a recent trip to London where Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts suffered a blood clot that worsened after an 11-hour roundtrip flight home. Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf, asked in France if he would like to play in another international location next, said no because he does not like traveling outside the United States to play football.