Stade Pershing is a sports venue in the east of Bois de Vincennes in Paris. Built in 1919 on land ceded by the French government, it was inaugurated as a stadium for football and athletics, with a seating capacity that later increased from 29,000 to 33,000 and then 40,000 in 1922. The stadium was originally associated with the YMCA sports service of the United States, which organized the Inter-Allied Games in the summer of 1919. The YMCA offered the stadium to the American Expeditionary Forces commanded by General John Pershing, who entrusted it to France, and the site was named in his honor. Stade Pershing later became a complex hosting various sports disciplines. It played an important role in French football history, including several national team matches, four French Cup finals from 1921 to 1924, and women’s athletics records set in 1922. The venue also hosted football matches during the 1924 Summer Olympics and the first rugby league match in France in 1934. Two Parisian baseball clubs currently use the adjacent baseball field.

◎ Nearby Objects

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  Parc floral de Paris 1400 m away
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  Bois de Vincennes 1700 m away

Stade Pershing

Stade Pershing is named in honor of American General John Pershing. It was originally built in 1919 in the east of Bois de Vincennes as a stadium with seating for 7,000 people, used for football, rugby, and athletics. Over time, it became a complex hosting various sports disciplines. Today, the adjacent baseball field is home to two Parisian clubs, PUC baseball and Patriots de Paris.

Early History and Sporting Use

Stade Pershing was built by the YMCA on land ceded by the French government and inaugurated in 1919. The YMCA sports service of the United States organized the Inter-Allied Games in summer 1919, and the stadium was offered by the YMCA to the American Expeditionary Forces commanded by General John Pershing. General Pershing then entrusted the stadium to France. It was primarily intended for football and athletics, with a capacity of 29,000 spectators at inauguration. This capacity later increased to 33,000 and then to 40,000 in 1922.

In the early 1920s, the stadium became an important venue for football in France. The French football team played several matches there, including the France-England match on 18 March 1923. Stade Pershing also hosted four French Cup finals from 1921 to 1924. Red Star won the competition there three times in a row from 1921 to 1923, and Olympique de Marseille won in 1924 as the first provincial club to do so at the stadium. On 29 August 1922, the venue also saw a major athletics event, when 18 women's athletics world records were set or broken in front of more than 20,000 spectators. During the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, the stadium hosted multiple football matches.

The First Rugby League Match in France

Stade Pershing was the site of the first rugby league match in France, played on 15 March 1934. The demonstration match was organized by English and Australian Rugby League and French journalists, and it featured England's national team against Australia's national team touring England. Despite cold and snowy conditions, Australia won 63 to 13. Around 3,000 spectators attended the match and discovered the new rugby format. Jacques Goddet later wrote a positive commentary on the game in L'Auto on 16 March 1934. According to Histoire, this match launched the development of rugby league in France.

From Rugby Venue to Multi-Sport Complex

Stade Pershing has undergone several changes in use and layout over time. On 6 April 1934, the French Rugby Federation banned rugby union clubs from playing there. The original stadium enclosure was later demolished during the 1960s. After these changes, the site became a sports complex with fields for football, basketball, volleyball, handball, baseball, and softball.

The complex includes a six-lane athletics track around the main football field. One of the baseball fields served as a training base for French national players linked to INSEP until the early 2000s. Since then, baseball players no longer depend on INSEP, and the stadium has hosted the PUC baseball club. PUC baseball also competed in the French Elite Baseball Championship at Stade Pershing.

The venue has also hosted major baseball events. In June 2013, it was the site of the French Baseball Challenge, and the final of the 2013 Challenge de France was played there, with Huskies de Rouen defeating Templiers de Senart 9 to 7. In June 2015, Stade Pershing hosted the European Baseball Cup organized by PUC.