Despite pushback from President Donald Trump, the NFL is moving forward with its game in Paris as France experiences civil unrest.
The NFL’s International Series continues Sunday, with the Saints and Steelers playing at Stade de France. The game is slated to take place despite civil unrest in France stemming from student-led protests over poor school conditions. The protests have escalated into widespread anti-government demonstrations, and in some cases, led to dangerous riots.
Trump was asked about the game while addressing reporters outside the White House Friday morning, and the president suggested he would have advised the league to move the “match.”
Trump: “I would’ve said the NFL could’ve probably postponed that match”
(It’s called a game, not a match) https://t.co/k31201IoVK
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 23, 2026
“It’s looking like tomorrow’s going to be a bad day in France, so you worry about it,” Trump said. “I would have said the NFL could have probably postponed that match, if you want to know the truth, because France is really in trouble.”
Earlier this week, Boomer Esiason noted that the NFL claims there is no concern about the area hosting Sunday’s game. But Esiason wondered whether the game might attract social unrest.
“They claim where they are going that there is no unrest,” Esiason said. “But if you want to amplify your unrest, the best way to do it would be around an NFL football game in France. It is ugly over there right now, and it’s basically uncontrolled… I don’t necessarily know that the French government has the stones to put it to rest. But right now, it’s about as bad as it’s ever been.”
According to The New York Times, last weekend saw nearly 1,500 shops and retailers damaged by riots, with more than 2,400 arrests being made. Paris police instituted a curfew Monday night from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday morning and have since extended it through the week and into the weekend.
With France anticipating more demonstrations this Saturday, several major tourist attractions and Paris museums, including the Louvre, announced closures for this weekend. Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 match against Lyon has also been postponed until Monday after police prohibited it from taking place on its originally scheduled date and time of Sunday at 8:45 p.m.
The Saints have been in France since Monday for the game, with the Steelers arriving Thursday. The Steelers have already canceled their fan event in Bastille “as a precautionary measure.” But the NFL has maintained that the game will go on.
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