The National Football League (NFL) team Pittsburgh Steelers defeated their peer team the New Orleans Saints 16-10 in the first NFL regular-season game in Paris on October 25th in a calm and festive atmosphere a day after fresh demonstrations drew more than 100,000 people into the French capital.
Game Build-up
‘Reuters’ stated that the nationwide protests largely overshadowed the build-up to the game with some fan and the NFL events canceled over the weekend mainly due to their location in Central Paris.
New York (US)-based the National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC).
Peaceful Mood
On October 25th as the October 24th rain gave way to sunshine the mood was peaceful before kickoff around the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, some 10 km (six miles) North of the Paris center and more than 13 km (8 miles) from Porte d’Italie where the October 24th protests began in Southern Paris.
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France located just North of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. Its seating capacity of 81,338 makes it the largest stadium in France.
Stadium Atmosphere
‘Reuters’ further stated that James Brown, a 51-year-old Saints fan who traveled to Paris especially for the game, said the atmosphere around the stadium was “wonderful, really good”.
Police Presence
The police presence appeared neither heavy nor unusual at the Stade de France which 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.
Main Demonstration
The main demonstration took place on the Southeastern fringes of Paris where at least 110,000 people turned out to denounce rising living costs and growing inequality.
Thirty-eight-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers fan Lukas Baldridge stated, “We didn’t notice much. We came in, went to a bar, got some drinks, got dinner, went home, didn’t see any protesting. The streets were closed. Most shops were closed. That felt unusual maybe but I don’t know enough about Paris to know what is normal and what’s not normal.”
Full Swing Party
The party was in full swing in a packed stadium when the game kicked off at 2.30 p.m. (1330 GMT) after French stars Antoine Dupont (French rugby union player) and Teddy Riner (French judo practitioner) were introduced to the crowd.
Steelers Players-Fans
A couple of hours earlier some Steelers players had arrived at the Stade de France dressed like characters from Peaky Blinders (British historical crime drama).
The Steelers fans seemed to outnumber their opponents even though the neutral-site game was officially hosted by the Saints.
‘Fun Atmosphere’
New Orleans Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss said, “It kind of felt 50/50. This is such a fun atmosphere. Maybe not feel like the true home team, it was a very special atmosphere, one I wish we could have gotten a win in.”
Nigerian rapper Burna Boy and French singer Yseult performed during a brief halftime show.
‘Great Event’
New Orleans Saints Coach Kellen Moore told at a presser, “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. I thought it was a really great event, really great game.”
Tokyo Goal
The NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated his goal to hold a regular-season game in Tokyo (Japan) and said he thinks it could happen in 2027 or 2028.
Remarked Goodell, “Listen, Tokyo is clearly on our list, whether it’s next year or the year after. It’s coming at some point in the near future.”
The above comment sets a possible timeline for the NFL to play in a city that Goodell has previously targeted. He said in July at Fanatics Fest that he hoped to bring a regular-season game to Tokyo.
Focus Japan
Goodell said the success and lessons learned from the NFL teams San Francisco 49ers-Los Angeles Rams game in Melbourne, Australia, in Week 1 could help make a game in Japan happen.
‘Incredible Feeling’
Added Goodell, “On a Friday morning at 10:30, to have 100,000 people in the stadium, it was just an incredible feeling for us. I think it’s opened up new opportunities for us. The travel is something we think we can manage and do it without impacting negatively on the teams. So, each of these we learned something from and we benefit and we also open those other doors.”
Collective Bargaining Agreement
The collective bargaining agreement allows the NFL to hold up to 10 international games per season. The league is playing nine this year and the Executive Vice-President of Club Business, International and League Events Peter O’Reilly said recently that the bump up to 10 was under consideration for 2027.
The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in the NFL is the master labor contract negotiated between the National Football League (NFL) – representing the 32 team owners and management – and the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) – representing the players.
Asia Focus
O’Reilly also said Asia was among the “new regions” being looked at for games.
Japan Preseason Games
The NFL has played 14 preseason games in Japan since 1976, most recently in 2005 with the Atlanta Falcons and the Indianapolis Colts.
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