Just over a year after making history at the same stadium, the African Giant returned to headline halftime, and Paris sang along. Nigerian superstar Burna Boy headlined the halftime show at Stade de France as the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the New Orleans Saints 16–10. The game was the NFL’s first regular-season fixture in France, with kickoff at 2:30 p.m. local time. American football brought the crowd to Saint-Denis. Burna Boy gave them the soundtrack.
BURNABOY
Burna Boy’s real name is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu. He was born in 1991 in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and music runs in his family: his grandfather managed the legendary Fela Kuti. He built his sound, which he calls Afro-fusion, by blending Afrobeats with dancehall, reggae, hip-hop and R&B. “Ye” became a defining record of his rise in 2018, and his 2019 album African Giant made him an international name. He won a Grammy for his 2020 album Twice as Tall, and “Last Last” from Love, Damini became one of the biggest Afrobeats songs in the world. His latest album is No Sign of Weakness. From Lagos clubs to Stade de France, the Paris halftime show is another sign of how far Afrobeats has travelled, and Burna Boy is among the artists leading it.
The NFL’s choice was deliberate. Tim Tubito, the league’s senior director of global game presentation, music and entertainment, pointed to Burna Boy’s history in the stadium and the popularity of African music in Paris. That history is real. On April 18, 2025, he became the first African artist to headline a solo concert at Stade de France, playing to a sold-out crowd of more than 80,000. Announcing the NFL gig, he said: “Paris gave me one of the biggest nights of my career.” . The show also fits a pattern. He performed with Shakira at the first-ever FIFA World Cup final halftime show at MetLife Stadium on July 19. And just weeks earlier, fellow Nigerian Ayra Starr headlined the NFL’s London game halftime, so African music now has a regular spot on the league’s biggest international stages
THE GAME
The 2026 NFL Paris Game brought two storied franchises to Stade de France for the league’s first regular-season contest in France. The Pittsburgh Steelers are six-time Super Bowl champions who went 10-7 and won the AFC North last season. The New Orleans Saints were the designated home team, though the game was technically one of nine home games on their 2026 schedule. The Saints had flown to Paris straight from New York after beating the Giants, and Louisiana’s long historical ties to France gave the matchup extra meaning. The Steelers arrived a year after winning the NFL’s first game in Ireland. Kickoff was at 2:30 p.m. local time.
On the field, the Steelers won a defensive battle by a score of 16-10. By quarter, Pittsburgh scored 3, 10, 3 and 0 points, while New Orleans scored 0, 10, 0 and 0. Chris Boswell opened the scoring with a 28-yard field goal. Aaron Rodgers then threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Darnell Washington, set up by a 51-yard completion to DK Metcalf, to make it 10-3. The Saints tied it on their third possession, but a Pittsburgh field goal at the end of the half made it 13-10. Boswell added a 39-yard field goal to make it 16-10 after three quarters. Rodgers finished 19 of 30 for 212 yards and a touchdown, and Jaylen Warren ran for 101 yards on 18 carries. The Steelers rushed for 150 yards, allowed only 18 on the ground, and converted 10 of 16 third downs. New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough completed 30 of 38 passes for 278 yards. The Saints jumped offside on a Boswell field-goal attempt late in the game, which handed Pittsburgh a fresh set of downs, and the Steelers ran out the clock. The win moved the Steelers to 5-2 and dropped the Saints to 2-5. Rodgers also passed Peyton Manning for third-most touchdown passes in NFL history. The Steelers became the first team to win a game in Paris.
THE SHOW
Burna Boy opened with “4 Kampe II,” his collaboration with French-Haitian artist Joe Dwet File, a nod to the city’s Francophone and Caribbean communities. From there he moved through his biggest records. The set included “Ye,” “On the Low,” and “Last Last.” French singer Yseult joined him on stage, giving the night a local touch. It was a compact set built for TV. His own concerts can run past an hour, but this was designed as a short NFL halftime performance. Before the show, he said he hoped the crowd would match the energy of his last visit. “If it is anything like my shows, like the last time I was here? Then, it would be amazing.”
Stade de France holds about 80,000 people, and the NFL’s debut there drew a global audience. The game was part of the league’s largest international season yet, spanning four continents. The league staged a record seven halftime shows. French viewers could watch Burna Boy’s full performance free on France Télévisions and on beIN Sports.
