SAN JOSE, Calif. – U.S. Soccer today announced the United States Men’s National Team will kick off Copa America Centenario at Levi’s® Stadium in Santa Clara on Friday, June 3. The venue will also host South American giants Argentina on Monday, June 6, with opponents for the two matches to be announced following the draw in early 2016. In addition, Levi’s® Stadium will host a Group C matchup on Monday, June 13 and a quarterfinal on Saturday, June 18. The Bay Area is one of two regions in the country to host four matches during the prestigious tournament.
"Having the United States kick off what promises to be the biggest Copa America ever in the Bay Area is great news and shows how important our area is to soccer in this country,” said Earthquakes President Dave Kaval. "We are looking forward to working with our partners at the 49ers to host some of the world’s top teams and players at Levi’s® Stadium."
As the host nation of the historic 2016 Copa America Centenario, the U.S. Men's National Team will be the top seed in Group A, it was announced today by tournament organizers. After the opening match in the Bay Area, the U.S. continues its Copa run in Chicago at Soldier Field on June 7 and Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field on June 11.
Brazil and Mexico have also been awarded group seeds and will head Groups B and C, respectively, while Argentina, as the highest FIFA-ranked nation in the Americas (per December FIFA rankings), will be seeded at the top of Group D.
Earthquakes Season Ticket Holders will be eligible to purchase tickets for Copa America Centenario during an exclusive private sale in January. More information on the ticket allocation process will be communicated in the coming weeks. Fans can visit http://www.CA2016.com for more information.
To be among the first to access tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime event, fans can visit CA2016.com. Due to the expected high demand for this premium soccer tournament, fans are urged to register early to guarantee access to information as it becomes available. More ticketing information will be released in the coming weeks.
- Sign up to receive Copa America Centenario ticketing information
- Fans are invited to visit the newly launched tournament website at CA2016.com
- Follow the tournament news at the event's official Twitter @CA2016 and Facebook
The U.S. has experience playing in the Bay Area, having played a total of 20 matches at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, Spartan Stadium in San Jose, the Oakland Coliseum, and Candlestick Park in San Francisco, where the MNT defeated Azerbaijan 2-0 in the World Cup Send-Off series on May 27, 2014. Now the team will play in the state-of-the-art Levi's® Stadium, the 68,000-seat facility which hosted the International Champions Cup match between Manchester United and Barcelona and is the site of the 2016 Super Bowl.
Recently, the LOC announced the 10 U.S. metropolitan areas that have been selected to host matches during the Copa America Centenario, with MetLife Stadium to serve as the host of the Copa America Centenario Final on Sunday, June 26 in the New York metropolitan area. Similar to the FIFA World Cup, each venue will host matches on multiple days through the tournament. Most venues will host at least three games.
- Copa America Centenario tournament schedule [PDF]
- Quote Sheet on Copa America Centenario announcement [PDF]
The 2016 Copa America Centenario is the historic centennial edition of Copa America - the South American championship - and will be staged outside of South America for the first time. The tournament will feature six teams from CONCACAF and all 10 teams from CONMEBOL.
CONCACAF and CONMEBOL have partnered for the historic 2016 Copa America Centenario, setting a new standard for inter-confederation cooperation in the Americas and worldwide. The Copa America Centenario Local Organizing Committee, formed by tournament host U.S. Soccer, is a separate entity responsible for certain logistical and organizational details of the competition.
About Levi’s® Stadium
Named Sports Facility of the Year by Sports Business Journal, Levi’s® Stadium is home to the San Francisco 49ers and serves as the world’s most technologically advanced and sustainable sports and entertainment venue. The $1.2 billion venue consists of 1.85 million square feet and 68,500 seats, including 174 luxury suites and 9,000 club seats, and was designed by HNTB and built by Turner/Devcon for the Santa Clara Stadium Authority. It is a multi-purpose facility with flexibility that has allowed it to host a wide range of events – including domestic and international soccer, college football, ice hockey, motocross, concerts and various civic events – since opening in 2014. The venue is also expandable for major events such as WrestleMania 31 and the upcoming Super Bowl 50. Levi's® Stadium is owned by the Santa Clara Stadium Authority, a public joint powers authority established to provide for development and operation of Levi's® Stadium to ensure that the stadium serves the goals of the City of Santa Clara. For more information, go to www.LevisStadium.com.
