Singer Nina Tonji alters French anthem at NFL game in France

The National Football League played its first regular-season game in France on Sunday, featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France. Singer Nina Tonji performed the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, before kickoff. Fox News reported that she altered the lyrics by changing the word impure to united amid ongoing civil unrest in the country. [1][4][7][9]

Fox News reported that Tonji received applause from the crowd inside the stadium, but her changes triggered significant online backlash among French people who were offended by the alteration. The news outlet noted that the reaction is connected to recent political unrest regarding immigrants in France. [1]

The game proceeded despite widespread mass protests in French cities over the weekend. CNN, NBC News, and newscentermaine.com reported that thousands of American fans attended the event under tight security and heavily armed patrols. The Butler Eagle reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New Orleans Saints in the matchup. [2][3][4][5][6][7]

La Marseillaise is the national anthem of France. It was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the First French Republic declared war against Austria. The NFL International Series hosts regular season games outside the United States, including past events in the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Germany. [9][11]