Dear Bentley community,
I’m excited to announce that this June, Bentley will welcome the French national football team, l’Équipe de France de Football, to our campus for their daily training as they compete in the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
Our proximity to Boston and Foxborough as well as our top-quality athletic fields and the Bentley Arena made our campus an attractive option for the French Football Federation. We are thrilled the team found a home away from home at Bentley, and excited that their FIFA World Cup 2026™ journey will include Waltham.
In the spirit of “good business,” I want to assure members of our community that this arrangement will financially be a net positive for Bentley, and involves minimal disruption for our students, faculty and staff or planned campus activities and initiatives. Pre-Bentley programs, summer camps, facility renovations and upgrades, and the regular day-to-day work of the institution, will continue without interruption or delay. The French team will be staying in Boston and not living on campus.
Of course, I know members of our community may wonder about the security and safety involved with this arrangement. I want you to know that plans are in place, with more detailed logistics to be finalized in the months ahead, to provide the team with appropriate privacy so they can focus and train. Bentley University Police will be coordinating with additional security and other outside agencies to ensure the safety of the campus and surrounding community every day, consistent with our commitment to maintaining a safe environment for all.
The French national team – known as “Les Bleus” for the color of their jerseys – is one of the top teams in this year’s FIFA World Cup™. At Bentley we focus relentlessly on successful outcomes for our students. I hope you are proud, as I am, at this successful outcome and Bentley’s upcoming role in this historic international event.
Sincerely,
President Chrite