A packed Stade de France near Paris made history Sunday as it hosted its first NFL regular-season game with the Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the New Orleans Saints 16-10 in a festive, party atmosphere.
On hand for the historic occasion were 78,488 fans happy to defy the violent leftist riots engulfing country.
The contest came a day after fresh demonstrations and riots drew more than 100,000 people to the French capital, as Breitbart News reported.
The police presence at the NFL contest appeared neither heavy nor unusual at the packed Stade de France n Saint-Denis, some six miles north of Paris centre and more than eight miles from Porte d’Italie, where Saturday’s protests began in the southern part of the city, FRANCE24 reports.
The same venue has previously hosted rugby sevens and athletics during the 2024 Paris Olympics and regularly serves as the home ground for the French national rugby and soccer teams, being perfectly suited to the NFL showpiece.
The custom-built scaled-down Arc de Triomphe entrance portal for players introductions, prior to the NFL Paris Game American football match between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris on October 25, 2026, the first-ever regular-season NFL game to be played in France. (FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images)
The party was in full swing when the game kicked off at 2.30 p.m. (1330 GMT), after French stars Antoine Dupont and Teddy Riner were introduced to the crowd, FRANCE24 notes.
Nigerian rapper Burna Boy and French singer Yseult performed during a brief halftime show.
“I would like to start by saying how much we appreciate everyone who, in the country of France, Paris, Versailles, helped make this event happen,” Saints coach Kellen Moore told a press conference.
A detailed view of the NFL Paris 2026 merchandise before the NFL game between Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints at Stade de France on October 25, 2026 in Paris, France. (Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)
“I thought it was a really great event, really great game today.”
To date, 62 NFL regular season games have been played outside the United States, with cities such as London, Berlin, Munich, Madrid, São Paulo, Mexico City, Toronto and Dublin featuring.
Paris is now happy for its name to be added to that list.