3 North Texas Stadiums to Host 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Matches

Nine stadiums in six U.S. metropolitan areas will host group, quarterfinal and semifinal matches in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, including three stadiums in North Texas.

 “The announcement of these outstanding venues moves us a step closer to what is sure to be a great Gold Cup this summer,” said CONCACAF President and FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani. “It is fitting that in our 60th anniversary year we will use a number of stadiums with a rich history of hosting Concacaf football, while also making history with new venues that will host Gold Cup matches for the very first time.”

CONCACAF did not say which matches would be at which venues for the tournament, which starts July 10, but did say groups will be based in hubs to minimize travel.

The nine stadiums that will host group and knockout stage matches of this year’s edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup are, in alphabetical order by stadium name (previously hosted Gold Cups):

• AT&T Stadium, Arlington (2009, 2011, 2013, and 2017)
• BBVA Stadium, Houston (2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019)
• Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, KS (2011, 2015, 2019)
• Cotton Bowl, Dallas (1993)
• Exploria Stadium, Orlando, FL (first-time host)
• NRG Stadium, Houston (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2019)
• Q2 Stadium, Austin (first-time host)
• State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ (2009, 2015, 2017, 2019)
• Toyota Stadium, Frisco (2015, 2017, and 2019)

The group stage featuring 16 national teams will begin on July 10 and will be played in a hub-city format, reducing team travel to prioritize the safety of all involved. The groups for the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup were also drawn on September 10, 2020, and are as follows:

•  Group A: Mexico, El Salvador, Curacao and Winner Prelims 9
•  Group B: USA, Canada, Martinique and Winner Prelims 7
•  Group C: Costa Rica, Jamaica, Suriname and Winner Prelims 8
•  Group D: Honduras, Panama, Grenada and Qatar.

“I am also extremely pleased that we have enhanced the Gold Cup format so that all the final group stage games will be played simultaneously. This will add to the competitive intensity of the tournament and provide an even more compelling spectacle for fans. Alongside the introduction of a first ever Gold Cup Prelims and a new format in the knockout stage this is another example of our football first approach at CONCACAF,” added Montagliani.

At the end of Group Stage play, the top two finishers in each group will advance to a knockout stage, which for the first time in Gold Cup history see teams on opposite sides of the bracket meet from the quarterfinals onwards. The knockout stage will be played as follows: 

• Quarterfinal #1: Winner Group D vs Second Place Group A
• Quarterfinal #4: Winner Group B vs Second Place Group C
• Quarterfinal #2: Winner Group A vs Second Place Group D
• Quarterfinal #3: Winner Group C vs Second Place Group B 
  
• Semifinal #1: Winner Quarterfinal #1 vs Winner Quarterfinal #4
• Semifinal #2: Winner Quarterfinal #2 vs Winner Quarterfinal #3 
  
• Final: Winner Semifinal #1 vs Winner SF #2

Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale were recently named the host venues for the Final (Aug. 1) and Prelims (July 2-6).

The Gold Cup action won't be the only CONCACAF matches played in North Texas this year. Earlier this month it was announced that the men's Mexican national soccer team would face Iceland in Arlington on May 30.