Why the Pittsburgh Steelers Have a Top International Fanbase

When the Pittsburgh Steelers played the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, everyone could see Terrible Towels waving throughout the Stade de France. It was the first NFL game to be held in France. The show of support from Steelers Nation gave Pittsburgh the advantage they needed to secure a 16-10 victory. The Steelers now have a 5-2 record.

After the game, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy thanked their fans, saying, “I think going on the road is definitely an advantage for the Pittsburgh Steelers and has been for quite some time. But I saw a lot of Saints fans there, too. I just want to give credit to the whole atmosphere. It was fun. The music was phenomenal, and the fan engagement was excellent.” He added, “You can never get enough of seeing the Terrible Towels flying, especially in key moments of the game. Our fans always show up, but I thought the entire atmosphere, the field, and the stadium were just impressive. It was top-notch. It’s been a joy to play here.”

The civil unrest in Paris was a major storyline in the days leading up to the game. The NFL was determined to keep the game in the city as planned. Fortunately, security was heightened and the game went well. Seeing so many Steelers fans show up to an international game was encouraging, especially amid the civil unrest. 

Traveling internationally for a game is not an easy feat. According to Saints Wire, 78,488 fans attended the game. The figure doesn’t show what percentage of attendees were Steelers fans.

However, the media acknowledged the strong presence of Steelers Nation. Andrew Vasquez of Steelers Wire noted, “Terrible Towels were twirling early and often in the Week 7 win over New Orleans. The Saints’ ‘Who Dat’ battle cry stood no chance against the Steel City brand of football, as those chants were drowned out by the overwhelming presence of Steelers fans in Paris.” Seeing the show of support from their fans helped boost the team’s confidence and morale in an unfamiliar country. This gave them the edge they needed to win.

Sunday was the second international regular-season game that the Steelers won. They defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland last season. They’ve faced some criticism for leaving on a Thursday evening for both international games. However, their approach has been getting results.

The Steelers play the Cleveland Browns on November 1st at Acrisure Stadium. It will be a crucial game, as both teams currently sit at 5-2. The Browns currently lead the division with a head-to-head win over the Steelers on October 1st. Hopefully, the Steelers can capitalize on the momentum from their international win and defeat the Browns next week.