WALTHAM, Mass. — France is calling Boston home during the World Cup this summer. The team will stay in the city and bus over to Bentley University in Waltham for training.
The French team arrives in Boston next week with their first training day set for Thursday, June 11th.
The top-ranked team in the world is full of elite talent and some of the most popular players like Kylian Mbappe, Ryan Cherki, and Ousmane Dembele. The two-time World Cup champions will likely draw a lot of attention when they arrive in Massachusetts. While it’s great exposure for the university, officials are asking people to stay away.
“This is a place of work for France. They’re going to come in and practice, do their thing, and leave. That’s the way we need to have it,” Bentley Athletic Director Vaughn Williams said. “The security that’s going to be around here is likely going to be the safest place in Boston during practice times.”
Williams says they will have 24-hour security and cameras watching all over campus. He doesn’t want people crowding the streets leading into the lower campus area where the fields are. That’s why they installed eight-foot fences around the entrance and around the pitch.
“This is going to be their home. It is very important that they have the feel of their home,” Williams said. We want them to come to a place where they can get their work done."
A big part of their training work will be on the Bentley soccer field. For months, the landscaping crew has made changes to their normal routine to meet FIFA and the French team’s standards.
“It’s been extremely busy. It’s getting real because they will be here in a week,” Facilities Director Ryan Gaffey said. “We keep referring to it as the Yankees of soccer. They’re just so good. The number one team, and it’s super exciting for having them here.”
Gaffey said the university soccer team had a long playoff run and the field was beaten up in early spring. They quickly started overseeding, three different times to fill in gaps. They’re using multiple types of grass to make the field look nice and lush.
“We were a little nervous about getting it to this point. The weather was not in our favor,” Gaffey said.
They’re hoping to see darker shades of green from the Kentucky Blue Grass as the weather warms up. That grass thrives in the heat and will bring a uniform look to the pitch.
Gaffey added they have to keep the cut to under an inch and the field mowed in a particular pattern for France. The crew has learned on the fly to try new things, but they’re confident in the pitch just days before the French arrive.
“It’s going to be really cool to see them out here, especially for the two guys working on this every day. They’re going to love it.”
France plays their third group stage game against Norway in Foxborough. Their first game is against Senegal on June 16th.
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