Ohio city chosen to host matches for 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup

USA players hold the Concacaf Gold Cup and celebrate on the podium after winning the final football match against Mexico at the Allegiant stadium in Las Vegas, …

USA players hold the Concacaf Gold Cup and celebrate on the podium after winning the final football match against Mexico at the Allegiant stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 1, 2021. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

by: Orri Benatar

Posted: Apr 11, 2023 / 09:36 AM EDT

Updated: Apr 11, 2023 / 09:42 AM EDT

CINCINNATI (WCMH) — One of the major men’s continental soccer tournaments is coming to Ohio this summer.

CONCACAF announced the 14 host cities for the upcoming Gold Cup tournament and among them is Cincinnati, Ohio. TQL Stadium, which was built in 2021 for the city’s MLS club FC Cincinnati, will host games for the biennial competition that crowns the best team in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

This is the first time Cincinnati has been chosen as a host city and the first Ohio city to host games since 2019 when Cleveland had group stage matches. Columbus has not hosted matches for the Gold Cup since 2009.

The 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup is set to begin on June 16 with the United States men’s national team entering as the defending champions. The US beat Mexico in the 2021 final in Las Vegas 1-0 in extra time to win its 7th title, one shy of Mexico’s record of eight.

This will be the USMNT’s first competitive tournament since the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In Qatar, the Americans went unbeaten in the group stage to advance to the knockout phase, where they fell to the Netherlands 3-1 in the Round of 16.

Among the other favorites for the Gold Cup include Mexico, Canada, and Costa Rica.