NFL Paris game: Steelers vs. Saints kick off in France amid protests

When does the NFL Paris game start, and how can I watch?

The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints kick off at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time Sunday at Stade de France, the national stadium in Saint-Denis on the northern edge of Paris. In France, the game starts at 2:30 p.m. local time, according to the Steelers' announcement of the matchup in May.

The game airs nationally on NFL Network and streams on NFL+, according to NFL.com's preview. ESPN's schedule lists the same NFL Network broadcast. Because it is the early international window, it does not overlap with the regular 1 p.m. ET slate, so fans in both team markets get it to themselves for most of the morning.

New Orleans is the home team on paper. The Saints hold the NFL's international marketing rights in France, and NFL.com notes the team trained this week in Versailles, outside Paris. The Steelers arrived later, landing in France on Friday, according to USA Today and Front Office Sports.

Why is this game a big deal?

It is the first regular-season NFL game ever played in France, and the league is treating it as a test of a new European market. When the game was announced, the Steelers said the league counts more than 14 million fans in France and that its youth flag football program there reaches more than 8,000 boys and girls. Flag football will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, which gives the NFL an extra reason to build interest abroad.

The venue carries its own history. Stade de France opened in 1998, hosted that year's World Cup final, and staged athletics and the closing ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympics, according to NFL.com. The Steelers' May announcement called it the country's largest stadium.

According to Front Office Sports, Sunday's game is the sixth of nine international games on this season's NFL schedule. The league's 2026 international slate also includes stops in Australia, Brazil, England, Spain, Germany and Mexico, according to the Steelers' announcement.

The New Orleans connection is the obvious storyline. French settlers founded the city in 1718, and the Saints' fleur-de-lis logo traces back to French royal symbolism, a point NFL.com's preview leans into. Saints owner Gayle Benson said in May that Louisiana's ties to France run "centuries deep."

What did Trump say about postponing the game?

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Oct. 23, before leaving for a rally in Florida, President Donald Trump said he was worried about the game being held during the unrest in France, according to the Associated Press and USA Today.

Trump said he "would have said the NFL could have probably postponed that match," according to USA Today's account of his remarks. He went on to tie France's turmoil to left-leaning politics and immigration, comments that were his opinion about French policy, not a statement from security officials.

The league did not change course. NFL executive Peter O'Reilly said earlier in the week that the game was "never close" to being moved and that the league was "confident in our operational and security plans," according to USA Today. He said the NFL was working with Paris and French national authorities and with the U.S. State Department.

Goodell, asked about his comfort level, answered "Very high," and added that the league is a guest in the country, USA Today reported. According to the same report, Goodell said he had spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the situation and the league's security plans.

On Friday, Goodell, Benson and Steelers president Art Rooney II met French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace to talk about the game and the NFL's future in France, according to a Saints social media post cited by Front Office Sports.

What is happening with the protests in France?

France has been gripped by weeks of protests that began with high school students demanding more teachers and repairs to crumbling school buildings, then widened to include unions, teachers, parents and anger over the cost of living and police tactics, according to the Guardian. NewsCubby covered the earlier wave of unrest and its toll on Paris residents in Paris Unrest: A Plea for Better Schools, a City Living With the Damage.

On Saturday, the French government estimated that at least 400,000 people marched nationwide; trade unions put the figure at about double that, the Guardian reported. The interior ministry said there were almost 1,000 arrests. In Paris, the government counted at least 110,000 marchers. The Guardian described the Paris march as largely peaceful until masked groups clashed with police near the end of the route, and police used tear gas, water cannon and stun grenades.

More than 70,000 police officers were deployed across French cities Saturday, the Guardian reported. The previous weekend's unrest was far more destructive, with public buildings burned, shops looted and at least 2,700 people arrested nationwide, according to the Guardian.

The unrest has already touched the French sports calendar. Ligue 1 moved Paris Saint-Germain's home match against Lyon from Sunday to Monday at the request of the Paris police prefecture, according to USA Today, a step intended to ease pressure on police who are also covering the NFL game and central Paris.

There is no indication from French or U.S. officials that the game itself has been targeted. Stade de France is in Saint-Denis, roughly six miles from the Paris areas hit hardest by looting the previous weekend, according to USA Today.

What changed for fans this weekend?

The fan events around the game were scaled back. The NFL told fans its NFL House would be closed on Saturday, the Saints pushed their Saints House event to Sunday, and the Steelers had already canceled a Steelers House fan event, according to Front Office Sports.

Front Office Sports reported that fans of both teams still gathered around Paris on Saturday, with Steelers supporters waving Terrible Towels near the Eiffel Tower. Its reporter in Paris wrote that the NFL House area was quiet in the afternoon, several miles from the march route.

As of early Sunday, NewsCubby had found no official announcement of any change to the game. The NFL closed its NFL House fan venue in central Paris on Saturday, and the Saints postponed their Saints House event to Sunday, with hours to be announced, CBS Sports reported. The Stade de France's official event page still lists a 2:30 p.m. local kickoff (9:30 a.m. ET), with doors opening at noon. It recommends public transit (RER B to La Plaine–Stade de France, or RER D), says there is no parking and notes that NFL bag rules apply.

What should you watch for on the field?

**Can Pittsburgh's ground game exploit New Orleans?** The Saints' run defense has struggled, allowing the highest success rate on designed runs in the league, according to NFL.com's preview, which cites the figure at 45.3%. That points toward running back Jaylen Warren, who was the AFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 5.

**Aaron Rodgers' short passing game.** NFL.com notes that the 40-something quarterback has been throwing shorter and leaning on his playmakers, including rookie receiver Germie Bernard, who has stepped up while Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson are hurt. DK Metcalf and tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington are the bigger targets.

**Tyler Shough and turnovers.** The Saints' second-year quarterback has 14 offensive touchdowns but also eight giveaways, according to NFL.com. Pittsburgh's defense, led by T.J. Watt and Jalen Ramsey, is tied for third in the league with 10 takeaways, and NFL.com says five of the Steelers' six interceptions have come in zone coverage, the look Shough has struggled against.

**Pressure on the Saints' front office.** Benson publicly said she would not accept the team's level of play when New Orleans was 1-4, and NFL.com reports the comment was widely read as a warning to coach Kellen Moore and general manager Mickey Loomis. The Saints answered with a 34-27 win over the Giants last week. A loss in Paris would drop them to 2-5 heading into their bye week.

Where the teams stand

According to ESPN's standings data, the Steelers arrive at 4-2 under coach Mike McCarthy and the Saints at 2-4. For Pittsburgh, a win would improve its record to 5-2. For New Orleans, the trip was supposed to celebrate a franchise with deep French roots, and it now doubles as a referendum on the team's direction.

NewsCubby will post a result recap after the game.

*Reporting from the Associated Press, USA Today, Front Office Sports, The Guardian, NFL.com, Steelers.com and ESPN. Compiled by the NewsCubby Editorial Desk with AI assistance and human review.*