The NFL said on Sunday morning that the Steelers and Saints will meet as planned at Stade de France next Sunday, holding to the league’s first regular-season game in France even as weeks of street unrest across the country flared again over the weekend.
The timing matters. The Saints, the designated home team, are scheduled to leave for Paris on Sunday night, a full week before the 9:30 a.m. EDT kickoff (2:30 p.m. in Paris) on October 25, so any change of plan would now have to unwind travel that is already under way.
In a statement sent to reporters, the league said preparations for the game and for its events around it were continuing on schedule. It said it remains in close contact with local authorities and partners on operations and security, is giving both clubs regular briefings, and has seen no disruption or impact at any of its sites. Adam Schefter reported the Saints’ departure plans alongside the statement.
Saints are scheduled to leave tonight for Paris, where they play the Steelers next Sunday at Stade de France. Despite intense riots and social unrest there, the NFL says the game is on.
“Preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France next…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 18, 2026
What is happening in France
The unrest started in late September as student blockades of schools in Seine-Saint-Denis, the suburban department north of Paris that is also home to Stade de France. Students complained of overcrowded and overheated classrooms, crumbling buildings, long school days and missing staff. The protests spread nationwide within days, and by the end of that first week Interior Minister Laurent Nunez was putting arrests above 5,000.
The movement has since widened to anger over living costs and public services. Saturday brought another round of fires and tear gas in the capital before conditions eased on Sunday. The United States already advises travellers to France to exercise increased caution, a general notice that does not single out the game.
The league has not said whether a back-up venue exists, and it has not set a date for any further decision. Its position has been the same since the middle of last week, when chief spokesperson Brian McCarthy said the NFL was working with French officials as it does for every international game and looked forward to welcoming fans to Paris.
A first for France
The game is the first regular-season meeting played in France. For Pittsburgh it is a second straight overseas trip after a 24-21 win over Minnesota at Croke Park in Dublin last season. The Steelers face Tampa Bay on Sunday before turning to the trip. Fan events, a pop-up shop and a free NFL House are already planned in the city during game week, and our guide to Paris Game Week has the full schedule.
Earlier coverage: the league’s first statement on the protests and the countdown to Stade de France.
What comes next
The Saints travel on Sunday night. The game kicks off at 9:30 a.m. EDT on Sunday, October 25. We will update this story if the league changes its plans.
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