Soldier Field will be one of the host venues for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the bi-annual soccer tournament featuring national teams from North America, South America and the Caribbean, city officials announced Friday.
The Gold Cup was last played in Chicago three years ago before the tournament skipped the city in 2017. Soldier Field also hosted the 2013 final between the United States and Panama, which the Americans won, 1-0, on a goal from midfielder Brek Shea.
“Soccer is a global sport and Chicago is the ideal global city to once again host the Concacaf Gold Cup,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement.
Next year’s tournament, which starts in mid-June, will feature 16 teams, an increase from the previous field of 12. The United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Honduras have already qualified. Team USA’s qualification comes as the result of being host nation and defending champions.
The U.S. has typically performed well at the Gold Cup, reaching the final in seven of the last nine tournaments. After missing out on the 2018 World Cup, the program’s biggest failure in decades, there will be pressure on the Americans to rebound with a strong showing.
