HARRISON, N.J. (December 19, 2016) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced today that Red Bull Arena will host the opening doubleheader of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup next summer, featuring Group A on Friday, July 7.
Fans interested in being part of an exclusive presale offering for the Gold Cup at Red Bull Arena, should visit www.GoldCup.org
Red Bull Arena, the home of the New York Red Bulls, has previously hosted Gold Cup matches in both the 2011 and 2013 editions of the tournament. Red Bull Arena also hosted the 2011 MLS All-Star Game, as well as numerous international friendlies, including matches for the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams.
The dates for Gold Cup matches scheduled for each group stage city were also announced, as well as the groups to be headed up by each of the tournament’s two seeded teams: the United States (Group B), and Mexico (Group C). Group A will be filled out pending the completion of the tournament field, with the UNCAF Central American Cup set to determine that region’s qualifiers in January.
Complete groups and schedule, including selection of dates and assignment of matches for the knockout round and the awarding of the Final, will be announced next year.
To date, seven of the twelve national teams scheduled to participate have qualified for next year’s tournament: Canada, Curacao, French Guiana, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, and the United States, in alphabetical order, will compete for the Confederation crown in July.
Canada, Mexico and the United States automatically qualify for the Gold Cup in representation of North America. The four Caribbean nations already qualified did so by winning their groups in the recently completed semifinal stage of the Scotiabank CFU Caribbean Cup. The top four finishers from January’s UNCAF Central American Cup, to be played in Panama, will also qualify.
Three additional Caribbean nations, Haiti, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago, have qualified for an additional series of matches in January, the winner of which will face-off next year in a two-leg playoff against the fifth-place team from the UNAF Central American Cup to determine the final participant in the 2017 Gold Cup.
Taking place every two years, the CONCACAF Gold Cup is the official national team championship of the region, which includes North and Central America and the Caribbean. Drawing large crowds and millions of television viewers across the region, the Gold Cup is a celebration of soccer, sportsmanship, and culture. The winner of the 2017 tournament will win continental bragging rights and an assured spot in the CONCACAF Cup play-in game to qualify for the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup, if needed.
Exclusive Presale Offering
Fans can now visit www.GoldCup.org to sign up for an exclusive pre-sale offering for any Gold Cup gameday in 2017, before seats go on sale to the general public. Tickets for the 2017 Gold Cup will go on sale at a later date. The LOC encourages fans to purchase their tickets early in order to secure the best seats for a great fan experience.
