Boston’s World Cup venue keeps its edge, no roof after modern revamp | OneFootball

Gillette Stadium, designated Boston’s World Cup venue, marries fresh upgrades with a defiantly open design, its owner resisting any roof for competitive reasons. According to L'Équipe, the arena sits well outside the city and is defined by its lighthouse.

France beat Brazil 2-1 there in March. Billed as Boston’s stadium for the tournament, it is actually closer to Providence, 35 kilometres away, with Boston 45 kilometres in the other direction and Fenway Park in town alongside the Celtics and Bruins.

The NFL team rebranded from Boston Patriots to New England Patriots, a nod to the six-state region. A vast lighthouse, billed as the country’s largest, rises from the south stand above a Tom Brady statue, and a 2023 revamp added the United States’ biggest video screen.

After plans to base the franchise in Boston ran into resistance, and fallback deals in Connecticut and Rhode Island collapsed, Foxborough became home. The 64,628 seats have been sold out since 2002, though parking can exceed $200, and congestion is routine. To ease jams, fans who park further out and leave more than two hours after the final whistle receive a $50 stadium credit.

Owner Robert Kraft, whose wealth is estimated at $13.8 billion, says he has used no public money for what he calls his home, and keeps refurbishing it. Arriving in 1994 as Buffalo completed four straight Super Bowls, he concluded a dome was undesirable, believing opponents dislike New England’s cold. He has pointed to a snowy January play-off win over the Houston Texans as evidence.

Source: L'Équipe