FFF Books Entire Four Seasons Boston for 2026 World Cup, Sparking Internal Debate Over Costs

The French Football Federation has privatized the entire Four Seasons Boston to house the France team during the 2026 World Cup, a decision sparking intense internal scrutiny as the FFF navigates a difficult financial period. According to an investigation by Blast, co-signed by journalist Romain Molina, the federation’s deficit reached 8.7 million euros in 2025, and several regional leagues are reportedly on the brink of bankruptcy.

The five-star hotel, located in downtown Boston, has 239 rooms. A senior federation official cited by Blast estimates the bill could exceed 12 million euros: “If the federation has booked 200 rooms for at least 30 days, that’s at least 6,000 nights at 2,000 euros, meaning 12 million euros just for accommodation.” Some rooms would remain unoccupied, with only a few permanent resident clients sharing the space with Didier Deschamps’ squad.

FFF president Philippe Diallo responded to the criticism by confirming the hotel’s privatization while disputing the figure: “We want to do everything possible to ensure the France team is in the best conditions, but the price is substantially lower than what you mention.” FIFA covers part of the accommodation costs, but only for a maximum of fifty people per association and according to a fixed rate depending on each team’s performance in the tournament.

The choice of this luxury downtown hotel is all the more striking because the Blues will train in the Boston suburbs, about thirty minutes away by car. No other major participating national team reportedly opted for a luxury downtown hotel, with other nations deeming a peripheral hotel complex sufficient.

The matter takes on political dimensions within the federation as the tournament approaches—one that Didier Deschamps, manager since 2012, is expected to oversee before stepping down. “Since Didier is leaving after the World Cup, if things go badly they’ll blame him for the hotel choice, even though he didn’t know the price,” an influential FFF member told Blast. Sporting and financial pressure thus converge on a single point: reaching at least the semi-finals is considered internally essential to refill the coffers, despite substantial revenues such as the Nike contract valued at 100 million euros per year.