Bentley to host French team ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026

The French national team is bringing a taste of World Cup soccer to the Bentley campus.

The university will serve as base camp for the French team L’Équipe de France de Football while it competes in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June, providing turf to practice on, training facilities and meeting spaces.

The international soccer tournament, the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, kicks off on June 11 and will include seven matches at Gillette Stadium. A record-number 48 national teams will compete at 16 venues across the U.S., Canada and Mexico over a five-week period.

“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,” Bentley said in a statement.

The French Football Federation selected Bentley based on its top athletic fields, modern work-out facilities in Bentley Arena and proximity to Foxborough. 
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. While they will practice and prepare at Bentley this summer, the French footballers will reside in Boston at the Four Seasons Hotel.