WALTHAM, Mass., March 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 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 workout 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 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 or delay. The French team will stay at a hotel in Boston, and the university will coordinate additional security to ensure the safety of the campus and surrounding community while the team holds daily practices there.
About Bentley University:
Bentley University believes good business can impact more than the bottom line — it can change the world. Bentley is a community of future business leaders who will deliver value in the marketplace and lasting positive effects for society. The university’s students are highly sought after, its faculty apply innovative research to real-world problems, and its alumni lead organizations around the world. Bentley educates the head and the heart with an innovative, technology-focused education that integrates the best of business and the arts and sciences and prepares the business leaders of tomorrow to lead successful, rewarding careers. Founded in 1917, the university enrolls 4,500 undergraduate and 800 graduate and PhD students and is set on 163 acres in Waltham, Massachusetts, 10 miles west of Boston. For more information, visit bentley.edu.
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SOURCE Bentley University
