Allez les Bleus! Outside the Four Seasons in Boston, fans wait for a glimpse of French World Cup team
Soccer fans gathered outside the Four Seasons Hotel in the Back Bay for hours on Thursday morning, hoping to see the French national team before its game against Morocco in Foxborough.
Anton Honikman and his 14-year-old son, Sammy, arrived at 9:15 a.m., joining a crowd hoping for a glimpse of stars like Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise.
“It would be a thrill to catch a glimpse of some of these superstars,” Anton Honikman said.
The Honikmans, who are in town from San Francisco for the 4 p.m. game, were wearing matching blue France jerseys. They were joined by fellow French fans, as well as Moroccan fans and curious locals.
As noon approached, Honikman said he and his son would have to make their way to South Station to catch a train to Foxborough before long.
But a bit later, hotel security told a growing crowd of about 100 people that the team will be leaving for Boston Stadium at 1:15 p.m.
FIFA security and Boston police ushered the crowd onto two sides of the hotel entrance to clear the area for the players.
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Sean Paul Cormier, 50, of East Boston, arrived at 9:30 a.m. It was too late to turn back now, he said.
“I’ve been here long enough,” said Cormier, standing towards the back of the crowd in a white France jersey. “I’m gonna enjoy the moment.”
The owner of a French flower company, French Bouquet of Boston, Cormier said supporting the French team is a way of reconnecting with his roots.
“I believe most people should do a deep dive into their culture,” Cormier said. “I thought this was the perfect opportunity.”
When the French team arrived at the hotel last month, players signed autographs for hundreds of fans who had waited outside for hours.
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