Police conducted a controlled explosion today ahead of Euro 2016 quarter finals in Stade De France

France police this afternoon conducted a controlled explosion today at stade de France ahead of the game between France and Iceland.

The police said they saw a suspicious car packed at the stadium hours before the kickoff of the quarter finals game between the host nation and "the underdog". 

Fans approaching the stadium reported hearing a loud bang and were told by police they could not continue because of the security scare. 

The stadium which was evacuated in November when ISIS attacked Paris. Police confirmed they blew open the door of an illegally parked car outside the stadium. 

They said the car was parked in an area where it shouldn't have been. It  is not expected that tonight's game will be delayed as a result of the security scare. 

Police examined the car after forcing their way an and said they did not find anything suspicious in the vehicle. The explosion caused jitters among fans arriving for the match and on the internet, but police played down the event, saying it was just a regular check on a car parked in a prohibited place.

Many streets were closed around the stadium because of the Euro 2016 competition. A police spokeswoman said: 'These checks happen regularly in Paris. They did not blow up the entire car.'

Organisers of the Euro 2016 championships have been forced to dramatically increase the level of security because of the ongoing jihadi terror threat.

Islamic State tried to bomb the stadium as part of a larger organised simultaneous attack in the capital.Terrorist killed 130 people as they rampaged though Paris on Friday, November 13 as France was due to play Germany in a friendly match. 

At least two terrorists tried to access the stadium. The first detonated his suicide vest after he was turned away by a security guard. Three people were killed during that section of the attack. French president Francois Hollande was in stadium when ISIS attacked.

The presidents of France and Iceland as well as their respective prime ministers are expected to attend tonight's fixture.  

Also in a related event,

Last night, a dozen people were injured after England supporters were involved in a fight inside the fanzone underneath the Eiffel Tower. It was the first such incident in the Paris fan zone since the tournament started June 10, and comes amid tensions and high security across the country. France is under a state of emergency after extremist attacks last year, and hooligan violence that marred the early days of the tournament.

Paris police and city hall officials said Sunday that a group of fans started fighting during extra time in Saturday's quarterfinal between Germany and Italy.

People near the fighting fans moved away, while scores of others ran for the exits, the officials said.

One person was hospitalised with injuries but should be released Sunday, while the others were treated on site at the fan zone beneath the Eiffel Tower, said a city hall official.

The incident lasted barely four minutes and no arrests were made, said the police official. 

An estimated 150 million people are expected to tune in for tonight's game according to UEFA, about half the expected number for next Sunday's final.