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Before they play the NFL’s first game in France on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, several New Orleans Saints players took in a big matchup of their own Tuesday night in Paris.
At least seven Saints players saw a soccer match Tuesday night between Paris-St. Germain, the two-time reigning Champions League winner in Europe, and visiting Barcelona.
Defensive end Cam Jordan and running back Alvin Kamara appeared on CBS’ television pregame coverage of the match wearing PSG jerseys. Kamara corrected host Kate Scott when she asked them how much they knew about “soccer.”
“You called it soccer,” Kamara quipped. “I thought it was football.”
The response drew applause and cheers from analysts Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards.
“We all grew up playing soccer in America,” Jordan said. “They call it football in Europe. American football is what we play. 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.”
At halftime, PSG shared photos on its social media accounts of other Saints players holding up PSG jerseys: Quarterback Tyler Shough, wide receiver Chris Olave, defensive end Chase Young, safety Justin Reid and center Erik McCoy.
PSG won 4-2 in the group-stage match, which was played at the Parc des Princes in central Paris. The Saints-Steelers game is at the Stade de France, the French national team’s stadium in the northern suburb of St. Denis.