Abhay Singh
Next year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, a vibrant football tournament showcasing the best of North American, Central American, and Caribbean talent, is set to unfold without any venues on the U.S. East Coast.
The absence of these sites hints at a potential strategic move by FIFA as speculation grows around the prospect of hosting matches along the bustling and iconic Eastern Seaboard for its anticipated 32-team Club World Cup expansion, highlighting the shifting landscape of global soccer events.
FIFA has not announced sites for the Club World Cup
The 14 locations in 11 regions selected for the event, which takes place from June 14 to July 6, include U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, PayPal Park in San Jose, California, and BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, according to a statement from CONCACAF on Wednesday.
The locations for the Club World Cup, which is scheduled to begin on June 15 and end on July 13, have not been disclosed by FIFA.
In order to give most players stationed in Europe some time off after their club seasons, the United States sent second-string rosters to the 2021 and 2023 Gold Cups.
Mexico has won nine Gold Cups
Nine Gold Cups have been won by Mexico, including 2023. Ten have been won by the United States, including 2021; Canada won in 2000. NRG Stadium and Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, as well as Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, were chosen as the other two locations.
The locations of PayPal Park and Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, were selected from the region south of San Francisco.
Additional locations for the Gold Cup include AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas; Glendale, Arizona; State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Las Vegas; Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas; Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego; and Citypark in St. Louis.
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