Children’s Mercy Park will host three Gold Cup games featuring U.S. team this summer

Children’s Mercy Park will host three July Gold Cup group-stage games featuring the U.S. Men’s National Team, CONCACAF announced Thursday.

The stadium in Kansas City, Kan., will also host two other group-stage matches from July 11-18.

It’s the first time since 2003 the USMNT will play in a single stadium three times in a single week, and it’s an announcement that could have weighty ramifications for Kansas City’s bid to host World Cup games in 2026.

CONCACAF — the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, one of six worldwide governing bodies that answer to FIFA for global soccer — is using a “hub city” format for this year’s Gold Cup tournament in hopes of reducing the amount of travel required of each participating team.

Kansas City will be one of eight U.S. markets to host Gold Cup games this summer.

“When we opened the stadium, our goal was always to have big international competitions and so to get one this summer coming out of COVID is amazing,” Sporting KC president and CEO Jake Reid said in late April. “It’ll be great for the fans, and anything we can do internationally as we continue to track toward World Cup 2026 is certainly helpful.”

The United States is in Group B alongside Martinique, Canada and a fourth team that will come from the preliminary round July 2-6. That fourth team will be Haiti, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Bermuda or Barbados.

Gold Cup schedule at Children’s Mercy Park

All times CT; schedule subject to change

Sunday, July 11

5:30 p.m.: Canada vs Martinique

7:30 p.m.: U.S. vs (Winner Prelims 7)

Thursday, July 15

6:30 p.m.: Canada vs (Winner Prelims 7)

8:30 p.m.: U.S. vs Martinique

Sunday, July 18

4 p.m.: U.S. vs Canada

Children’s Mercy Park is opening to a full-capacity crowd for a May 29 game featuring Sporting KC against the Houston Dynamo, meaning a full-capacity crowd will also be likely for all five Gold Cup games.

The Gold Cup is CONCACAF’s flagship international tournament. The field features international men’s teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

“This is CONCACAF’s 60th anniversary year and we look forward with great anticipation to watching the best men’s national teams in our confederation compete for the Gold Cup title,” CONCACAF president and FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani said.

“With an exciting new format and the prospect of welcoming passionate fans to the stadiums for these compelling matchups, I can’t wait for the football to begin.”

Kansas City has hosted the USMNT on eight occasions, including six times since 2011. After this summer’s competition, no city will have hosted more USMNT Gold Cup matches in the past decade.

Children’s Mercy Park also hosted Gold Cup games in 2011, 2015, and 2019. But in each of those previous instances, the USMNT played just one game here.

Having the eyes of the country on Kansas City this summer for the region’s largest international soccer tournament should auger well for KC’s hopes of emerging as a host city during the 2026 World Cup.

That bid process is ongoing.

“Anytime you can shine the spotlight on the city, on the stadium, on what we’re trying to do in KC, it helps immensely, and it kind of gets that international spotlight that’s hard to get,” Reid said. “I think it’s great, I think it’s great for the city and hopefully our bid in 2026.”

This story was originally published May 13, 2021 at 1:00 PM.