During the first regular-season NFL game played at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Sunday, October 25, 2026, singer Nina Tonji altered the lyrics of the French national anthem, La Marseillaise. Instead of singing the traditional line sang impur
(impure blood
) from the 1792 composition by Rouget de Lisle, Tonji performed the phrase as sang uni
(united blood
) prior to the matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
National Rally Deputy Condemns Modified Anthem Performance
The modification during the NFL fixture quickly sparked political debate across France. Appearing on CNews, Jean-Philippe Tanguy, a deputy for the Somme and vice-president of the National Rally, condemned the performance as the work of ideological actors who lack an understanding of French history. It is unworthy. You do not touch La Marseillaise,
Tanguy stated on the broadcast, asserting that the change demonstrated a lack of cultural awareness regarding the anthem’s historical context.
The controversy surrounding the performance echoes past public friction over the anthem’s stark wording. In 2014, actor Lambert Wilson publicly criticized the text as bloodthirsty and racist. However, historians of the French Revolution have repeatedly pushed back against such characterizations. Historian Pierre Serna explained that the phrase sang impur
historically targeted aristocratic figures accused of betraying France by participating in the counter-revolution, rather than referring to foreign blood.
Nina Tonji performs the national anthem of France live from @StadeFrance 🇫🇷 @NFLFrance PITvsNO on NFL NetworkStream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/1JBfVCNsfz
Lawmakers Question Lyrics as Legal Penalties Loom
Beyond historical debates, lawmakers questioned the linguistic coherence of the altered line. Nicolas Metzdorf, a deputy representing New Caledonia, took to social media to criticize the substitution, writing that sang uni
carries no clear meaning or implies that domestic blood is being shed instead. Nina Tonji has not publicly addressed the intent behind the altered lyrics.
The incident also drew attention to French legal statutes governing national symbols. Under the French Penal Code, outraging the national anthem or the tricolor flag can carry penalties of up to six months in imprisonment and a fine of 7,500 euros when committed in a group.
Historical Precedents of Anthem Reinterpretation
Modifications of La Marseillaise have occasionally stirred national debate in decades past. A notable historical parallel remains Serge Gainsbourg’s 1979 reggae rendition, titled Aux armes et caetera,
which generated intense controversy upon its release. Yet analysts point out a distinct difference between Gainsbourg’s comprehensive artistic arrangement—described by Pierre Serna as a provocative call for liberty—and the single-word substitution performed at the Saint-Denis stadium.
On the field, the NFL regular-season contest concluded with the Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the New Orleans Saints 16 to 10, though the post-game discourse remained heavily focused on the pre-kickoff anthem performance rather than the final score.
