The Saints spent their second night in France at the Parc des Princes, and they did not go as ordinary guests. A few hours after the club announced a partnership with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, seven New Orleans players watched PSG beat Barcelona 4–2 in the Champions League, five days before they face the Steelers in the first regular-season NFL game played in France.
Running back Alvin Kamara and defensive end Cam Jordan were in the building before kickoff. Quarterback Tyler Shough, wide receiver Chris Olave, defensive end Chase Young, safety Justin Reid and center Erik McCoy were shown at halftime holding up personalized PSG jerseys.
“I thought it was football”
Kamara and Jordan, both in PSG shirts, joined the American pregame studio show for the match, where host Kate Scott asked them how much they knew about soccer. “You called it soccer,” Kamara said. “I thought it was football.” The line drew cheers from the panel of Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards.
“We all grew up playing soccer in America. They call it football in Europe. American football is what we play,” Jordan said. “We’re here in Paris for the game, first ever in Paris, Saints vs. Steelers. But just excited to be on the pitch; I didn’t think I’d ever get this close.”
The match gave them plenty to watch. Désiré Doué put PSG ahead in the 40th minute and was named player of the match, Barcelona twice drew level, the second time through Lamine Yamal in the 80th minute, and goals from Lucas Hernández, Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz settled it for the two-time reigning European champions. After the final whistle the club posted Kamara and Jordan, still in PSG colors, “ending the night in style.”
What the Saints–PSG partnership includes
The deal, announced on Tuesday afternoon Paris time, links the two clubs for a week of fan, community and cultural programming built around the game. Both cities claim the fleur-de-lis, and the clubs are leaning on it.
- A joint PSG x New Orleans Saints merchandise capsule made with Fanatics, with limited-edition jerseys and apparel that mix the two identities, including a monogram jersey with Saints design elements
- A handcrafted collector jersey designed with the French upcycling workshop LeLabPlus and artist Ed Broner, sold with a tote bag and a vinyl record
- An original piece of music by MYD and Antoine Bouchot recorded with The Soul Rebels, the New Orleans brass collective
- Sales start on Thursday, October 22, in PSG’s official stores and online shop, and at the Saints House pop-up at Pavillon Vendôme on Saturday, October 24
- Youth football sessions run with PSG for Communities, with local young people invited to the game at the Stade de France
PSG had already worked with the league this month on its “Football is football” jersey drop and is staging a Hail Mary over the Seine on Friday. The Tuesday partnership is club to club, with the Saints rather than the league as PSG’s partner. Earlier in the day the Saints also posted Jordan at Disneyland Paris, part of the free time Kellen Moore promised his players before full practices start on Wednesday.
John DeShazier, the Saints’ senior writer, recaps the team’s first day in France from the base outside Versailles.
The city around them
Tuesday’s match went ahead as the Interior Ministry had promised, at a stadium in the 16th arrondissement, far from the trouble spots. The police prefecture renewed the overnight curfew around Place de la République and part of Les Halles from 11 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday and closed the Châtelet, Les Halles and République stations from 10 p.m. Our curfew report has what that means for game-week travel, and our arrival story covers how the Saints are handling the unrest.
What comes next (Cairo time)
- Wednesday, October 21: the Saints start full practices outside Paris
- Thursday, October 22: the PSG x Saints capsule goes on sale; the Steelers leave Pittsburgh
- Friday, October 23: NFL House opens at Pavillon Cambon Capucines; PSG’s Hail Mary over the Seine; the Steelers arrive
- Saturday, October 24: Saints House pop-up at Pavillon Vendôme; Saints walk-through at the Stade de France
- Sunday, October 25, 4:30 p.m.: Steelers vs. Saints at the Stade de France (2:30 p.m. in Paris)
How the league got here, from Wembley in 2007 to Saint-Denis, is in our interactive Paris timeline.
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