The Eiffel Tower will be shut on Sunday as part of security measures being taken for a big-screen broadcast of the World Cup final at the adjacent Champ de Mars Park.
This comes as tens of thousands of people are expected to watch the game between France and Croatia in the shadow of the country’s iconic site.
And the tower’s management company, SETE, said on Thursday police have demanded thee tower be shut down.
“For security reasons, the Paris police have requested the Eiffel Tower’s closure,” SETE said, adding that people who had pre-booked tickets would be reimbursed.
During the Euro 2016 final between France and Portugal more than 90 000 people packed into the Champs de Mars fan zone.
The Eiffel Tower will also be closed on Saturday for the Bastille Day national holiday where an estimated 12 000 security force members will be deployed to secure the festivities, according to Paris police chief Michel Delpuech.
Fans flooded into the streets of Paris and other cities on Tuesday night after France edged Belgium to reach the World Cup final.
It’s going to be even bigger in the event of a win in the final as the country is expected to erupt in an outpouring of national pride, like that which followed France’s first World Cup win on home soil 20 years ago inspired by the legendary Zinedine Zidane.
