FOXBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - FIFA is showing off one of its 11 host venues Wednesday, the newly-named Boston Stadium in Foxboro, which has been transformed from the home of the New England Patriots and Revolution to a stadium fit for some of the world’s best soccer players.
Any Gillette branding has been covered in plastic, and inside the tunnels some of the walls have been painted blue and gold to match FIFA’s official colors. In a return to Gillette Stadium’s 2002 roots, the artificial turf the Patriots use has now been replaced by real grass cut to precisely nine-tenths of an inch.
“The sod went down the first week of March. It was a little bit cold here in Massachusetts, which thankfully it’s not like that today. Good for us,” said Greg Whately, the Venue Pitch Manager.
FIFA said fans coming to the stadium will enjoy a 360-degree experience as the first match pre-game ceremony gets underway.
“There’s going to be activations coming on the field from all angles, and that’s what we have to look forward to on Saturday,” said Kevin Clark, the FIFA Venue Operations Director.
While the Patriots locker room is off limits to the visiting athletes, the world’s soccer stars from Haiti will be using the NFL visitors locker room, as well as one normally used by the Revolution.
After the game has concluded, fans won’t have to rush home, as there will be outdoor spaces for them to gather.
“There’s a sound stage where we will be showing other matches that are on before and after the game,” Clark said. “The stadium fan experience does reopen post match for approximately two hours after the final whistle.”
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