Lincoln Financial Field Set To Host 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final On July 26
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) has awarded the 2015 Gold Cup Final to the city of Philadelphia and Lincoln Financial Field. The match is set for Sunday, July 26, at 7:30 pm EST.
For the first time since the 2003 edition, the Gold Cup will feature a third-place match, to be played on Saturday, July 25 at PPL Park, making the Gold Cup finals weekend in Philadelphia a celebration of the sport.
"We are honored that Philadelphia was chosen as the host city for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final," said Eagles President Don Smolenski. "With the third-place match being played at PPL Park on July 25th and the final taking place at Lincoln Financial Field on July 26th, it will be an exciting weekend of soccer. It is a tremendous opportunity to showcase our city with this prestigious international soccer tournament."
Tickets to the Gold Cup Final at Lincoln Financial Field will be made available to the general public today at 10:00 am. Tickets can be purchased by either visiting www.GoldCup.org, www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1-800-745-3000.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the confederation's premier event for national teams, crowning a champion every two years. It has developed into a competition of 12 nations, which qualify from each of CONCACAF's three-sub regions: North America (three automatic entrants), Central America (Central American Cup) and the Caribbean (Caribbean Cup). Tabbed as the region's most popular national team tournament, the competition routinely draws capacity crowds and millions of television viewers across the region and around the world.
To date, 11 of the 12 national teams scheduled to participate have qualified for this year's tournament. Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago and the United States will compete for the Confederation Crown in July. The final spot will be decided later this month in a play-in series between French Guiana and Honduras.
Thirteen North American cities – Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Toronto – will welcome the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, July 7-26.
Since 2003, Lincoln Financial Field has played host to 19 national and international soccer matches, featuring some of the world's most prominent clubs. Manchester United, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea, AC Milan, Celtic, US Men's and Women's National Team and the Philadelphia Union, among others, have all showcased their clubs at Lincoln Financial Field over the years.