Is it true? New England Revolution II teenagers who played with and against France
The 15–21 year olds from New England Revolution II came up to face and play against the French national team in a training match while the French squad briefed in Boston.
An ordinary day at work for Pablo Moreira, head coach of New England Revolution II, turned into an extraordinary opportunity. While preparing for their MLS Next Pro match against Chicago Fire II and communicating with the first team about the promotion of some youngsters, someone knocked on the door: sporting director Curt Onalfo with a strange requisition.
"Can you manage a game against France in 48 hours?" asked Onalfo. Moreira scratched his head and almost wondered: "France? The national team? Are you kidding me?" But the offer is real.
After opening their World Cup campaign 3-1 against Senegal, Didier Deschamps is keen to keep players who have played little or been short-changed sharp — Rayan Cherki, Bradley Barcola, Maghnes Akliouche, N'Golo Kanté, Marcus Thuram, Warren Zaire-Emery, Ibrahima Konaté and Lucas Hernández are among the group. France is based at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston and trains at Bentley University, so the Foxboro-based Revolution became the logical sparring partner.
The schedule has been problematic as Next Pro is currently in the middle of their season, and only a few first teams are coming out of the break. There was a quick call-up of youngsters — including those at college clubs in the amateur fifth tier who were temporarily recalled — so a select group of 15- to 21-year-old players rose to the challenge.
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2026/06/22172931/GettyImages-2279545919-scaled.jpg?width=1200&height=630&fit=cover" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>The recorded names include Matthew Tibbetts, Alex Parvu, Jack Burkhardt, Mason Sullivan, Steban Lopera, Jamie Kabuusu, Kian Charris, Josh Partal, Logan Azar, Marco Dos Santos, Gianluca Armellino, Braedon Smith, Rafa Alves and Paulo Tornberg. Moreira smiles as he recalls the scene: "We were laughing that it seemed unreal what we were doing when we were 15 and 16 — to be able to talk and play against names like that. We couldn't believe we mentioned those names in the same sentence."
While discussing what format would provide the best test for France, Moreira insisted on not telling the players first. But the rumor mill got around: two 22-year-old new signings from UNC Wilmington and the Cedar Stars, Jake Shannon and Gabe Dahlin, came up after practice and expressed their desire to join.
"They couldn't believe it," Moreira said. "We tried to pretend nothing was happening but they did their "detective work" and found out the details. I said: 'Okay guys, we'll do it, but the most important thing is you have to train at the highest level tomorrow. We're still in the middle of the season.'"
Although the schedule didn't match Revolution II's usual fixture list, they didn't let the opportunity pass. For these youngsters, it will be an unforgettable exposure to play against and with members of a top-tier World Cup squad — a scene that will shape their development and provide an extraordinary experience early in their career.
