3 min readUpdated: May 22, 2026 04:00 PM IST
The large football field of Bentley Falcons has a giant manual scoreboard that keeps track of ‘soccer style’ offensive and defensive demarcations, as it registers goals scored and goals saved. But it’s the grass beneath the feet that earned Bentley University the right to welcome the French national football team, l’Équipe de France de Football, on June 11.
Chosen as the campus for the official Team Base Camp Training Site for the FIFA World Cup 2026, the incoming French will put both Bentley and the city of Waltham on the global sports map.
Its proximity to Foxborough, Massachusetts, where games will be played, put the town near Boston in prime position as did the top-quality athletic fields and modern workout facilities. Boasting of true grass in Boston, Bentley was approved by Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, Didier Deschamps, head coach of the French national team, who will be looking for a win after losing out unfortunately to the Argentines last time.
Athletics Director Vaughn Williams, told the WCVB Channel Boston, “True grass. This is the most important aspect – the requirenent and specs we needed to get chosen.” There was massive glee when Bentley trumped out their local University rivals.
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“We are thrilled to provide a home away from home for the French national team during their stay in Massachusetts,” said Uni head E LaBrent Chrite, with a typical business-speak infusion to the development. “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,” he told reporters earlier this year.
Summer courses and camps at Bentley which churns out finance and management whizzes, continued even as scheduled facility upgrades were carried out.
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The French team was reported to stay at Four Seasons in Boston, and the university undertook coordinating additional security to ensure the safety of the campus and surrounding community while the team set it up as base camp.
Snooping and stalking on rival teams, is not uncommon in football and every World Cup runup erupts with leaks of plans.
Bentley University is a typical suits-sticher. “Bentley 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,” the University website said.
It also made sense to set camp at Bentley given the World Cup matches take place along the Eastern seaboard (including games in the nearby Boston/Foxborough area).
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