BACK THEN ACROSS FROM GILLETTE STADIUM. INSIDE ROUTE ONE WINE AND SPIRITS. THE PAST IS ON DISPLAY. VINTAGE SIGNS, EVEN A DECADES OLD NEON SIGN STILL GLOWING LITTLE DUSTY BUT STILL SHINES BRIGHT. MARK ZELENSKYY WAS WORKING AT THE STORE OWNED BY HIS FATHER IN 1994, WHEN THE WORLD CUP CAME TO TOWN. I PROBABLY TOOK A THOUSAND PHOTOS, PEOPLE HANDING ME THE CAMERA TO TAKE PICTURES AND AS YOU CAN TELL HERE, THEY’RE INSIDE THE STORE JUST GOING BERSERK, HE REMEMBERS ROUTE ONE BECOMING A GLOBAL CROSSROADS. WCVB WAS THERE TOO, CAPTURING THE EXCITEMENT. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME HOPPING GREEKS.COM TO WORLD CUP, AND WE’RE SO EXCITED. JUST INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY FRIENDLY AND MARCHING UP AND DOWN ROUTE ONE. AT ONE POINT IN TIME, THE TRAFFIC WAS DEAD. STOP. THEY COULDN’T MOVE AND THEY WERE JUST WEAVING IN AND OUT OF THE CARS, WAVING THEIR FLAGS AND DIDN’T TOUCH THE CARS, DIDN’T CAUSE ANY ISSUES. WE’RE ALL EXCITED. IT’S GOING TO COME. IT’S GOING TO BE A HUGE INFLUX OF BUSINESS AND DOLLARS TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. NOW, DECADES LATER, BUSINESSES ARE PREPARING FOR ANOTHER SURGE. JACK LANK OF THE UNITED REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, SAYS THEY’RE PLANNING FOR CROWDS AND TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES. A COUPLE OF HOTELS, ESPECIALLY THAT A LITTLE BIT OUT FURTHER, LIKE ON 495, THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE SOME BUSSES TO GO BACK AND FORTH. IT’S IT IS AMAZING. LIKE THESE PEOPLE ARE SO PASSIONATE. MARK ZELENSKYY HOPES EVERYTHING GOES AS SMOOTHLY AS IT DID 32 YEARS AGO. WE DID NOT WITNESS A SINGLE OUNCE OF DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY OR, YOU KNOW, ANY TYPE OF HOSTILITY TOWARDS OTHERS. YOU KNOW, THAT TYPE OF THING IN 94. I’M EXPECTING THE SAME, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. FOXBOROUGH IS EXPECTING THE MASSIVE CROWDS TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE TOWN. IN FACT, TONIGHT THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE IS SET TO DISCUSS TURNING JUNE 16TH, THE DAY OF ONE OF THE GAMES INTO A HALF DAY FOR THE FOXBOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOL SYST
World Cup history on display at Route 1 business near Gillette Stadium
Updated: 1:01 PM EDT Mar 25, 2026
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Across from Gillette Stadium, inside Route 1 Wine and Spirits, the past is on display. “It was a great time,” said Marc Civilinski, who was working at the store that was owned by his father in 1994 when the World Cup came to town.“I probably took 1,000 photos — people handing me the camera to take pictures — and as you can tell here, they’re inside the store just going berserk,” he said.He remembers Route 1 becoming a global crossroads.“Just incredibly, incredibly friendly and marching up and down Route 1. At one point in time, the traffic was dead stop. They couldn’t move, and they were just weaving in, out of the cars, waving their flags. They didn’t touch the cars, didn’t cause any issues,” Civilinski said.Decades later, businesses are preparing for another surge. Jack Lank of the United Regional Chamber of Commerce said they are planning for crowds and transportation challenges. “A couple of the hotels — especially those out a little further — they’re going to have buses to go back and forth,” Lank said.“It is amazing. These people are so passionate about their sport,” Civilinski said.Civilinski said he hopes everything goes as smoothly as it did 32 years ago. “We did not witness a single ounce of destruction of property, any type of destruction of property or hostility to others,” Civilinski said. “I’m expecting the same, to be honest with you.”
Across from Gillette Stadium, inside Route 1 Wine and Spirits, the past is on display.
“It was a great time,” said Marc Civilinski, who was working at the store that was owned by his father in 1994 when the World Cup came to town.
“I probably took 1,000 photos — people handing me the camera to take pictures — and as you can tell here, they’re inside the store just going berserk,” he said.
He remembers Route 1 becoming a global crossroads.
“Just incredibly, incredibly friendly and marching up and down Route 1. At one point in time, the traffic was dead stop. They couldn’t move, and they were just weaving in, out of the cars, waving their flags. They didn’t touch the cars, didn’t cause any issues,” Civilinski said.
Decades later, businesses are preparing for another surge. Jack Lank of the United Regional Chamber of Commerce said they are planning for crowds and transportation challenges.
“A couple of the hotels — especially those out a little further — they’re going to have buses to go back and forth,” Lank said.
“It is amazing. These people are so passionate about their sport,” Civilinski said.
Civilinski said he hopes everything goes as smoothly as it did 32 years ago.
“We did not witness a single ounce of destruction of property, any type of destruction of property or hostility to others,” Civilinski said. “I’m expecting the same, to be honest with you.”
