The NFL is monitoring unrest in France ahead of the New Orleans Saints-Pittsburgh Steelers game scheduled for Oct. 25 at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris. The league has not announced a change of venue, but an unnamed league source said relocation could be considered if events warrant.
The report said demonstrations that began peacefully on Saturday escalated into clashes between masked groups and police, along with looting and fires. It cited reported march attendance estimates of 500,000 to 800,000 people and said arrest totals reported on Sunday had risen from 1,000 to 1,800, including 855 in the Paris region. The source also reported that a historic city hall in Limoges was among the buildings set ablaze.
The game is due to be the NFL’s first regular-season contest in France. The league had said the previous week that it looked forward to welcoming fans to Paris. After the violence, an NFL spokesperson did not respond to an email from the outlet seeking clarification. The anonymous league source said the NFL was coordinating with local authorities and partners on operational and security matters, and that a venue change remained an option if conditions required it.
The report also described the teams’ travel plans and the challenges of moving the game. Saints executive vice president and general manager Mickey Loomis said the team planned to travel to Paris after its Sunday game against the New York Giants. New Orleans intended to spend the week in France to adjust to the time difference, with the team traveling from the New York area rather than returning to Louisiana first.
The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans is booked for an event on Oct. 25, which could complicate a return of the game to the Saints’ home stadium. Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, the Steelers’ home venue, was not scheduled to host an event that day, according to the report. No alternative venue had been announced.
The Saints’ owner, Gayle Benson, had previously described the France game as a way to build on Louisiana’s historical cultural and economic ties with France. The report did not provide further details about the demonstrations’ causes or any official assessment of whether the unrest would affect the game. The NFL’s reported position remained that the contest was planned for Paris, subject to developments and security considerations.
