As the 2026 FIFA World Cup draws closer, premium French airline La Compagnie has been designated the official carrier of the French national football team.
However, the French squad, which is one of the favorites to win the tournament, will not have to wait until June 2026, when the World Cup is scheduled to start, in order to enjoy the comfort of La Compagnie’s all-business class cabin. La Compagnie is set to fly Les Bleus to the United States in March 2026, where they will play two friendlies against Brazil and Colombia.
These games will take place on March 26, 2026, at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, near Boston, Massachusetts, and three days later at the Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, in the Greater Washington DC area.
The French carrier will deploy one of its two Airbus A321neo aircraft fitted with 76 business class seats in order to fulfill the team’s travel needs. The French team will then fly to the United States in June, to attend the FIFA 2026 World Cup. The football tournament will be based in the Boston area and include trips to Philadelphia and New Jersey for the first stage of matches.
In a press release announcing the agreement with the French Football Federation, Christian Vernet, CEO of La Compagnie, said: “It is a tremendous honor for La Compagnie to be entrusted with transporting our national team. As a French airline, we take great pride in delivering an elevated, all-business-class experience designed to provide the comfort, discretion, and peace of mind elite athletes require as they prepare to compete at the highest level.”
The contract between La Compagnie and the French Football Federation runs through July 31, 2026.
Launched in 2014, La Compagnie is currently the only independent airline which has managed to consolidate an all-business boutique-style transatlantic service between the US and Europe.
It operates a fleet of two A321neo aircraft on scheduled services linking Paris-Orly (ORY) and Milan-Malpensa (MXP) to Newark-Liberty International Airport (EWR). It also operates seasonal services between Newark and Nice (NCE) and Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) on the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten/Saint Martin.