Foxborough is ready for some futebol.
Boston is gearing up to host FIFA World Cup matches this summer, and if Thursday's atmosphere for the tilt between France and Brazil is any indication, there's a lot to be excited about.
Just ask New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez and wide receiver DeMario Douglas, who were in attendance at Gillette Stadium for the international friendly that saw France defeat Brazil 2-1.
With Brazil being one of the Patriots international home markets, game day festivities started early for Douglas, who attended a welcome dinner and reception at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday with former Brazilian pro footballers including DenÃlson Show, Ricardo Rocha, and Marcelo Gonçalves. The reception was to celebrate a partnership between Patriots Brazil and the Brazilian Football Confederation, in pursuit of their sixth World Cup victory, with Federação Brasileira president Samir Xaud speaking at the event.
Also present at the reception were popular Brazilian creators and influencers like Negrete, Diego Defante, Luva de Pedreiro, Matheus Theodoro.
Douglas also visited the Imersão Brasil pop-up in Boston on Thursday to stock up on merch before the match.
Douglas got to meet prominent Brazilian musician Dilsinho and gift him one of his signed No. 3 Patriots jerseys.
Gonzalez, meanwhile, did his own jersey swap with Brazil and Real Madrid forward VinÃcius Júnior before the match.
Along with Gonzalez and Douglas, many other local celebrities were in attendance for the friendly.
Massachusetts governor Maura Healey was part of the pregame ceremony, and members of the Boston Celtics, including head coach Joe Mazzulla and star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, came down to Foxborough on their night off.
Following France's victory, the official French National Team account shared an adorable video of superstar forward Kylian Mbappé and teammates celebrating in the tunnel with a Gillette Stadium game day staffer.
In postgame media availability, French midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, an American football fan, gushed over the fan environment and the opportunity to play where Tom Brady had so many legendary performances.
"That was great," said Tchouaméni.
Especially for me, a football fan, it's incredible to get a chance to play in Tom Brady' stadium. I texted him before the game to tell him that it was a pleasure to play in the stadium, and yeah, great atmosphere and great fan base. That was dope."
After a great night of soccer, the summer of 2026 can't come soon enough.
