NFL Confident in Paris Game Despite Unrest

The NFL confirmed on Tuesday that plans for its first regular-season game in France are proceeding as scheduled. This reassurance comes even as notable civil unrest has been reported in the country recently.

Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president for Club Business and International, stated, “We’re obviously being very vigilant in everything we do and all of our planning on an hour-by-hour basis, working closely with our two teams.” He expressed confidence in the league’s operational and security measures.

NFL Monitors Civil Unrest Ahead of Game

O’Reilly mentioned that the NFL has backup plans for every game, including the option to relocate or postpone as necessary. However, he noted that discussions regarding these contingencies for this particular game are not critical at this point. “We have never been close to that point,” he said. “As you know, we’ve always got contingency plans for every game, every single one of them. But no, we were not at that point at any point in the conversation.”

The confidence in hosting an event with about 81,000 attendees, as well as players and officials, raises questions, especially given reports of vehicles being set ablaze and looting occurring in central Paris, not far from the event site.

“Our team’s been on the ground, security team’s been on the ground, and obviously, working in close partnership with Stade de France, which is a world-class stadium that has hosted major events, including the recent Olympic Games,” O’Reilly explained.

He added that heightened security measures would be in place—not just on game day, but for all related events. Local authorities will enhance security efforts to ensure the safety of teams, fans, and everyone connected to the game. “Extremely vigilant as we always are. Confident in all of those plans as we head towards Sunday,” he concluded.