President Donald Trump suggested the National Football League could have postponed its first-ever game in Paris due to ongoing civil unrest. The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints are scheduled to play Sunday, even though a Paris Saint-Germain soccer match on the same day was canceled because police resources are stretched thin.
Trump told reporters on Friday that he believes the NFL "could've probably postponed that match" given the current situation in France. "It's looking like tomorrow is going to be a bad day in France, so you worry about it," Trump said. "France is really in trouble." He also linked the unrest to political policies, arguing that such outcomes result from adopting leftist approaches and permitting unrestricted immigration from nations he described as unfriendly.
The NFL has maintained that Sunday's game will be safe to play and safe for fans to attend. In a reply to emails from OutKick and Fox News Digital, the league stated that the postponement of the PSG game did not impact its decision regarding the Steelers-Saints matchup. However, the Steelers did cancel a local fan event. A league source said that during a two-hour gathering, officials discussed game security, the readiness of the Stade de France stadium, and the growth of flag football in France.
Protest organizers told the Associated Press that an administrative court overturned a police ban on demonstrations after organizers challenged it. The Paris prefecture had initially argued the ban was necessary due to risks of street violence, citing clashes between masked youth and officers, shop looting, and car fires over the weekend. Protest organizers signed a police document agreeing that the demonstration would remain stationary because of the violence risk.
Dani Watt, wife of Steelers defensive end TJ Watt, publicly questioned why the game had not been moved earlier in the week. The NFL confirmed on Thursday that its Fan House event scheduled for Friday and Saturday would proceed as planned. A league spokesman said, "It's happening."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Wednesday that he would attend the game and that he had recently spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about moving forward. Rubio told OutKick that the American embassy in France believes the game "will be fine."