"Les Bleus'" 96-Year-Old Boston Neighbor

While the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston is largely reserved for the French national team during the 2026 World Cup, it still houses some year-round residents. Among them is 96-year-old Shirley, who has been delighted to share a few moments with "Les Bleus."

A neighbor unlike any other. Since the start of the 2026 World Cup, the French squad has been sharing their base camp with a handful of permanent residents. Shirley is one of them. At 96, this American woman has become a devoted fan of the "Roosters," having already enjoyed several pleasant encounters and received gifts from the players.

"They gave me Kylian Mbappé's jersey. He said if they win, he'll sign it, and then it'll be worth a fortune! I absolutely adore this team! Thank you! Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. This is a wonderful gift from a wonderful person and a wonderful country. I'm so flattered that they even paid attention to me," RMC Sport quoted Shirley as saying.

The French national team arrived in Boston on June 10th, establishing their base camp there. Although a significant portion of the Four Seasons Hotel is reserved for them, some of the building's long-term residents still occupy the top floor.

According to Franceinfo, Shirley descends to the hotel entrance every morning to watch Didier Deschamps and his players depart for training. Accompanied daily by Samia, she has developed a genuine passion for "Les Bleus." "She talks about them constantly: 'They have to win,'" the Frenchwoman told RMC Sport.

Fortunately for Shirley, "Les Bleus" will remain on the East Coast of the USA thanks to their first-place finish in the group stage. Their Round of 16 match against Sweden this Tuesday (11:00 PM French time) will take place in New York, where the team landed on Sunday evening. A potential quarter-final (against the winner of Germany-Paraguay) would be played in Philadelphia. And after that, a semi-final could even bring them back to Boston.