The Kansas City Sports Commission & Foundation, the Kansas City Chiefs, Sporting Kansas City and Visit KC have teamed up as partners in Kansas City’s bid to be a host city for the Copa America Centenario USA 2016.
The 16-team international soccer tournament will be held in cities across the United States in June 2016 and will mark the first time this world-class event has been staged outside of South America in its 100-year history. Bid proposals for prospective host cities are due by March 16 with the winning cities to be announced in May.
U.S. Soccer, the event’s Local Organizing Committee, anticipates that between eight and 13 stadiums will be selected as sites for the prestigious championship. With a minimum stadium seating capacity requirement of 50,000, Arrowhead Stadium will serve as Kansas City’s venue for the bid. The tournament will feature all 10 teams from South America’s CONMEBOL confederation and six CONCACAF teams from the North America, Central America and Caribbean region. Fourteen of the 16 countries who will compete at the Copa America Centenario USA 2016 have already been determined, highlighted by seven national teams which are currently ranked among the top 20 teams in the world.
PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES (14 of 16 determined to date)
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.
“The interest level from cities across the nation has been phenomenal,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “Everyone understands the tournament will be a huge event during the summer of 2016 and it’s exciting to see all of these cities putting together bids to be involved. While we’re just in the beginning stages of preparing to serve as host, we already are starting to see the impact and interest the tournament will have with soccer fans across the United States.”
A sports and entertainment destination for athletes and fans alike, iconic Arrowhead Stadium underwent extensive renovations in 2010 and offers a state-of-the-art facility to host Copa America Cenetario matches. The stadium – Guinness World Record-certified as the loudest in the world – served as Sporting Kansas City’s home venue for the club’s first 12 seasons from 1996-2007 and has hosted numerous international matches, including the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams as well as English Premier League side Manchester United.