On Sunday, the National Football League played its first regular-season game in France at the Stade de France, where the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New Orleans Saints 16-10 before a crowd of 78,488 spectators, according to La Jornada. The matchup took place just one day after massive nationwide protests and severe civil unrest forced widespread security lockdowns across Paris.
Stade de France Welcomes Sellout Crowd Amid Heavy Capital Security
Fans packed the 76,000-seat national stadium located north of the capital, with ticket sales entirely exhausted ahead of the kickoff between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints, NetNoticias reported. Despite the police presence surrounding the perimeter, the atmosphere among traveling supporters outside the venue remained jovial and relaxed. Security procedures at the gates included standard bag checks alongside a patrolling detection dog once visitors entered the stadium interior.
Travelers made the journey from various American cities to witness the league’s debut in France. We are celebrating our dad’s 70th birthday, so we are very excited to come to the first NFL game in Paris, Alicia Moore told The Associated Press. She added that she hopes to see more games hosted in the country in the future, noting, It seems incredible that we are bringing our culture here.
A’ndrea Moore noted that they celebrated Billy Moore turning 70 with a good meal in Paris, adding that there was still no verdict on the check, and mentioned they felt some unease about the city rather than the match itself. The family arrived on Wednesday, with A’ndrea and Billy traveling from Mississippi, Deborah from Tennessee, and Alicia from Texas.
Other attendees shared similar sentiments regarding the trip. Clint and Rachel Rushing traveled from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, wearing coordinated black, gold, and white outfits styled after Santa Claus. We came all the way to Paris for just one game,
Clint Rushing told The Morning Call. Rachel Rushing confirmed that their stay had been entirely smooth, stating, Paris has been wonderful, we’ve really enjoyed Paris. We haven’t had any trouble.
Massive Civil Unrest Shut Down Paris Landmarks the Day Prior
The calm scene at Saint-Denis contrasted sharply with the security situation across France on Saturday. Approximately 70,000 law enforcement agents were deployed nationwide, supported by armored vehicles, water cannons, and helicopters, NetNoticias noted. Gendarmes took up positions beneath the Arc de Triomphe, while cultural landmarks including the Louvre and the Grand Palais kept their doors closed to the public.
Protests stemming from anger over the rising cost of living and poor school conditions drew approximately 550,000 demonstrators across the country. The demonstrations led to widespread property damage, affecting municipal buildings, public offices, and roughly 3,000 retail stores that suffered damage or looting during the prior weekend. Store owners across Paris responded by boarding up windows or keeping operations strictly temporary during a tense Saturday afternoon.
The civil unrest forced organizers to shutter the promotional “NFL House” in Paris on Saturday. Local authorities also requested the postponement of a scheduled soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon.
On-Field Action Seals a Narrow Steelers Victory
Inside the stadium, Aaron Rodgers engineered a tight victory for Pittsburgh. La Jornada reported that Rodgers completed 19 of 30 pass attempts for 212 yards and a touchdown, while teammate Chris Boswell contributed three successful field goals to secure the 16-10 win. Running back Jaylen Warren added 101 yards on the ground for the Steelers, who improved their season record to 5-2 after Rodgers secured a key first down with a run late in the fourth period for the team’s third victory. Before halftime, Carl Granderson sacked Rodgers on a third-down play, leaving 15 seconds on the clock and no timeouts remaining before the team hurried off the field to allow Boswell to kick a 47-yard field goal that put Pittsburgh ahead 13-10. Earlier, Rodgers extended the advantage to 10-3 by connecting on a four-yard touchdown pass to tight end Darnell Washington, who stands 2.01 meters tall and weighs 120 kilograms, after the receiver beat the coverage of 1.80-meter cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. During that same drive, Rodgers found DK Metcalf for a 51-yard pass that advanced Pittsburgh to the New Orleans four-yard line.
New Orleans dropped to 2-5 despite a strong performance from quarterback Tyler Shough, who completed 30 of 38 passes for 278 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The Saints struggled to establish a running game, managing just 18 total yards rushing. A critical third-quarter interception by Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson in the red zone halted a New Orleans scoring threat and allowed Pittsburgh to extend its lead. When the Saints threatened to score at the start of the second half, Wilson intercepted a short pass intended for Chris Olave, which set up a 39-yard field goal by Boswell that pushed the advantage to 16-10. Later in the final quarter with under seven minutes remaining, Patrick Queen sacked Shough on a third-down play to halt another Saints drive, which followed New Orleans tying the game 10-10 earlier via a one-yard touchdown pass from Shough to Devaughn Vele on a fourth down from the one-yard line.
