As nationwide protests continue across France, raising security concerns, the NFL says it still plans to stage its first regular-season game in Paris on Sunday.
When the New Orleans Saints arrived in France after they beat the New York Giants on Sunday and the Pittsburgh Steelers arrived Thursday, they came to a country that has been roiled by protests since early October over the high cost of living and deteriorating conditions in the country’s schools. French officials have said the unrest has led to thousands of arrests. The French government estimated that 550,000 people took part in demonstrations Saturday, and a curfew has been in effect in some parts of Paris. Though many of the protests have been peaceful, some have turned violent as masked looters clashed with riot police.
In one instance, the mayor of the Paris suburb Saint-Denis, the site of the Stade de France, where the Steelers-Saints game will be played, stood between police officers and protesters. A league spokesman wrote Wednesday that “preparations continue as scheduled.”
The security and events team the league uses to host events such as the Super Bowl is also staging the international game in the Stade de France, the spokesman said, adding, “There’s been no disruption or impact at league sites.”
The NFL has moved the locations of some games because of natural disasters, such as a Los Angeles Rams game in January 2025, as wildfires raged across Southern California. Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president of club business, international and league events, told reporters after league owners’ meetings Tuesday that no such discussions had taken place in this case.
“We have never been close to that point,” O’Reilly said. “We’ve always got contingency plans for every game, every single one of them. But no, we were not at that point at any point in the conversation.”
O’Reilly said officials from the league had been in Paris for several days to oversee operation plans, including Cathy Lanier, the NFL chief security officer, who used to run the Washington, D.C., police department.
The protests have altered at least one event surrounding the game, however. The Steelers said Thursday that they were canceling plans to host a “Steelers House” for fans “following recent events in the Bastille neighborhood, and after careful consideration.”
Asked about his comfort level regarding security around the game, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday, “Very high is my comfort level.” Goodell said that he had spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and that the league was “involved at the highest levels, both in France on a global basis, with our officials here in the United States.”
“We’ve made all the preparations,” he said. “We’ve been in touch with the appropriate authorities. Protests are not unusual in France, as you know. And that’s something that we will be aware of and make sure that the appropriate arrangements are made.”
Goodell said he was looking forward to attending the game.
Paris officials prep for NFL game amid civil unrest
“We’re guests in the country, we’re going to be good guests, and we’re going to do our thing, and I’m confident they’re going to do theirs,” Goodell said.
Amid the unrest in France, Paris has already hosted one major sporting event this week without incident. On Tuesday, the two-time reigning European champion soccer club Paris Saint-Germain hosted Barcelona in a Champions League match, which some Saints players attended.
“NFL does feel comfortable in sending us over,” Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward said Wednesday on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “That’s the trust we have to believe in. Hopefully we’re not going into a firestorm, but for us, we have to be smart about what we’re doing out there. No traveling alone, make sure we stay in groups and don’t wander off too far.”
“The NFL likes money,” Heyward added, “so we’re not missing that opportunity.”
