The NFL is sending the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints into the middle of France's worst civil unrest in years — and so far, the league isn't blinking. Despite French police arresting hundreds, and by some counts close to 1,800 people nationwide, amid protests over the cost of living and strained public schools, the league says Sunday's game at Stade de France in Saint-Denis is still on as scheduled.

The matchup is a milestone for the league regardless of the backdrop: it's the NFL's first-ever regular-season game played on French soil, part of a broader push that's already sent teams to London, Munich and São Paulo in recent years as the league chases growth beyond the US market. Kickoff is set for Sunday, October 25 at 2:30 p.m. local time — 9:30 a.m. Eastern — inside the 80,000-seat stadium that's hosted everything from the 1998 World Cup final to the 2024 Olympics, and officials had been promoting it for months as a showcase event before this week's unrest complicated the picture.

"Preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France next Sunday," the league said in a statement, adding that it is providing both teams with regular security updates. Wire reports describe rioting and looting tied to the nationwide demonstrations, with arrest figures that have climbed through the week — some outlets cite roughly 855 arrests in the Paris region alone, others put the national figure closer to 1,800.

The U.S. State Department's travel advisory for France remains at Level 2, though it was last updated before this week's unrest intensified and doesn't specifically address the NFL game. Still, the mismatch between a stale advisory and fast-moving protests has fueled mounting calls to move the game entirely — with Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio floating New Orleans as a fallback site if conditions in Paris worsen further before kickoff.

Players Weigh In

For now, both franchises are proceeding as planned. TSN reports several Saints players have said they'll simply avoid known protest hotspots around the city rather than alter their routines, and the team says it is continuing its normal preparations for the trip.

"PREPARATIONS CONTINUE AS SCHEDULED."

The unrest stems from weeks of nationwide protests against rising living costs and strained public services, and it shows no clear sign of easing before kickoff. With the NFL unwilling to move or postpone a marquee international game it has spent years building up, Sunday's matchup is shaping up to be as much a story about security logistics and league priorities as it is about either team's season.