Soccer will return to SoFi Stadium in 2023.
The 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final will be played at SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, on Sunday, July 16, 2023, the organization announced on Thursday.
The Gold Cup pits North American squads against each other in a biannual tournament to crown the best nation in the region. Mexico has won a record eight times since the competition began in 1991 with the United States right behind its rivals with seven.
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CONCACAF also announced that the official draw for the tournament will take place on April 14, 2023.
Additionally, the 2023 tournament will feature a preliminary round prior to the 16-nation group stage for the first time. Qatar, the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, will be competing as an invited guest.
With SoFi Stadium also one of the host venues of the 2026 FIFA World Cup that will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, CONCACAF is looking to optimize the Gold Cup as another way to build excitement for the quadrennial tournament.
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“The 2023 Gold Cup will be the centerpiece of a wonderful summer of CONCACAF football which will also include our Nations League Finals and the final of the CONCACAF Champions League,” said CONCACAF president and FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani in a statement.
“These competitions, and the many others we will deliver in 2023, are hugely important for the ongoing development of the game in CONCACAF as we seek to harness the momentum and anticipation that is building in our region as we get closer to 2026,” added Montagliani.
This will mark the seventh time a Gold Cup final has been held in the Los Angeles area, with four being at the LA Memorial Coliseum and two at the Rose Bowl. It will be the second time a soccer match has been held at SoFi Stadium after the venue hosted the Leagues Cup Showcase in August 2022.