Earlier in April, officials announced TQL Stadium would be one of 15 stadiums to host matches for the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. On Tuesday, Concacaf announced just which matches would be played in the Queen City.
TQL Stadium will host two Gold Cup quarterfinal matches, both taking place on July 9 at 5 p.m. It'll be the first time TQL Stadium has played host to a doubleheader, according to FC Cincinnati.
Obviously, it's still impossible to know for sure which teams will step onto TQL Stadium's pitch to battle for a spot in the semi-final matches to come. However, if the U.S. Men's National Team manages to advance that far, it'll mark the third time one of their matches is held at the home of the Orange and Blue.
"Today is a thrilling day for the city of Cincinnati," said Jeff Berding, FC Cincinnati co-CEO, in a press release. “We are proud to welcome the best men’s national teams from this part of the world to Cincinnati and our world-class, soccer-specific stadium. The Gold Cup is the flagship competition for Concacaf and we are very excited to host these Knockout Stage matches at TQL Stadium come July 9."
It's the first time Cincinnati will host a Concacaf Gold Cup match, but TQL Stadium is no stranger to hosting an international match.
In September 2021, the U.S. Women's National Team handily defeated Paraguay within the stadium's walls in an international friendly. Just months later, the U.S. Men's National Team pulled out a win against Mexico in a qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup. In June 2022, TQL Stadium hosted the U.S. Men's National Team again as they won against Morocco in an international friendly.
The Concacaf Gold Cup is a showdown between teams in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Held every two years, the 2023 Gold Cup will be the tournament's 17th iteration. Mexico has most consistently come out on top of the cup, with eight titles under the country's belt; the United States has won seven and Canada has been tournament champions just once.
