Bienvenue! Bentley University Selected as Team Base Camp Training Site for French National Team During FIFA World Cup 2026™
Bentley University will welcome the French national football team, l’Équipe de France de Football, to campus this June as its official Team Base Camp Training Site for the FIFA World Cup 2026™. The decision positions Bentley and the city of Waltham on the global sports stage as one of the world’s most celebrated soccer teams prepares for the tournament.
The French Football Federation selected Bentley based on its top-quality athletic fields, modern work-out facilities in the Bentley Arena and proximity to Foxborough, Mass., where games will be played.
The French national team’s announcement follows a visit to the Bentley campus earlier in the week by Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, Didier Deschamps, head coach of the French national team, and his entire staff. They toured the workout facilities in the Bentley Arena, walked the playing fields and met with Bentley officials including President E. LaBrent Chrite and Athletics Director Vaughn Williams.
“We received an extremely warm welcome, and, above all, we believe that Bentley is the best option for the French national team for the World Cup,” said Deschamps.
“We are thrilled to provide a home away from home for the French national team during their stay in Massachusetts,” said President Chrite. “At Bentley we focus relentlessly on successful outcomes for our students. We are proud of this successful outcome and Bentley’s upcoming role in this historic international event.”
The FIFA World Cup™ will take place for five weeks this summer starting on June 11, with games held in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The French team – known as “Les Bleus” for the color of their jerseys – is one of the top teams in this year’s FIFA World Cup™.
Summer courses and camps at Bentley, scheduled facility upgrades and the regular day-to-day work of the university will continue without interruption. The French team will stay in Boston and not on campus, and the university will coordinate with additional security to ensure the safety of the campus and surrounding community while the French team holds daily practices there.