Homophobic slurs at soccer games in Mexico will now result in five-year bans from stadiums, Mexican Football Federation (FMF) president Yon de Luisa said on Monday.

The federation has struggled to thwart anti-gay chants often shouted by Mexico supporters when an opposing goalkeeper takes a goal kick. In recent years, FIFA has handed the FMF fines and stadium bans that have forced matches behind closed doors due to the fan behavior.

Now, those who chant will be given a five-year ban—part of a new process that de Luisa announced on Monday. Also included are online ticket registration, a push for more positive fan experiences, heightened stadium security, as well as the ban.

“These measures are based on four pillars and will be applied rigorously in all home games organized by the Mexican Football Federation,” de Luisa said.

The new rules will be implemented in Mexico’s next two World Cup qualifiers: against Costa Rica on January 30 and vs. Panama on February 2.

The CONCACAF Nations League is brand new and was created to provide more international competition. Thus, there is no historical significance and this competition lacks importance in comparison to other international competitions. However, this was not apparent as the US and Mexico battled for over 120 minutes in one of the most thrilling matches this rivalry has ever seen. This five-goal thriller represents a new era of American soccer as the young, promising team won their first trophy together. Injuries, early deficits, and a strong Mexican side were unable to overcome the talent and grit of the USMNT. The United States won 3-2 in extra time.

“Overtime was just a complete mess, to be honest. With everything that was going on, the guys still stayed cool, still were able to focus,” said coach Gregg Berhalter after the game. His words are applicable beyond time as the entire match was chaotic. In the first minute of the game, Mexico’s Jesús Corona capitalized on a US mistake to put Mexico up 1-0. In the 24th minute, Mexico’s Héctor Moreno scored a header off of a set-piece which was ruled offside by VAR. Just three minutes later Gio Reyna scored for the US to draw level. Diego Lainez put Mexico ahead in the 79th minute just a minute after being subbed on. A nervy US team finally equalized in the 82nd minute off of a header from midfielder Weston McKennie. Extra time was necessary and in the added 30 minutes a penalty kick was awarded to each side. The US struck first as Christian Pulisic buried his shot without hesitation. Fortunately for the US, Mexico’s Andrés Guardado was unable to convert his penalty kick as Ethan Horvath stood tall in the net and made the save, winning the game for the US. On top of the incredible action from goals, chaos came from injuries, altercations, misbehaving fans, and more.

Christian Pulisic, captain of the USMNT and scorer of the game-winning penalty kick, was the first to lift the trophy at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO. Within the 10 days before this achievement, Pulisic was lifting the prestigious UEFA Champions League trophy. “It’s just a perfect way to end the year. I’m so proud of this group. We needed everyone today and it was a phenomenal performance,” said Pulisic in an interview with CBS.

Before this week, the USMNT had not played in a competitive match since the fall of 2019. After the game, coach Berhalter said, “We’re a young side, and we need to learn how to win. These games are very difficult, and for us it was about having a game plan, executing a game plan, but it’s also about the fight and the spirit. Give the guys a ton of credit for the way they hung in there and showed the heart of champions.”

This victory also set a much-needed new tone with Mexico. Mexico had seen great success in this rivalry in recent years. The US had not defeated them in a competitive match since 2013. In 2019 alone, the US lost twice to Mexico. With the victory, we have seen a coming of age for the USMNT.

Mexico beat the United States Men’s National Team 1-0 in the Concacaf Gold Cup Final at Soldier Field in Chicago. Johnathan Dos Santos scored the only goal of the affair, hitting the top of the crossbar and bouncing in in the 73rd minute.

“This was what we came here for,” said the captain for the Mexican team, Andres Guardado, according to ESPN. “We did it and in an unforgettable setting. We’re very happy. The whole team was spectacular.”

Winning the Gold Cup would’ve proven to be a step in the right direction for this new US team under Gregg Berhalter. Falling just short, the Mexican team humbled this US team who won every game leading up to this one with some comfortability. This 1-0 victory for Mexico was the first time this US team trailed the entire tournament.

There are more than a few takeaways this US team can look at and bring to their attention. Jozy Altidore had a clear chance inside the first 10 minutes when he was one-on-one with goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa that he shot wide of goal. Missing a chance like that can prove cost-worthy, and it did. 20-year-old Christian Pulisic seemed to be on his own out there, trying to provide multiple chances for his team that just fell short. He had a shot in the first five minutes of the game that was saved by Ochoa, but went missing during the second half as the Mexican defense tracked his every move knowing he was the outlet the Americans sought out.

“I think what we lacked was I think some of the confidence, some of the composure,” Berhalter said about the second half, according to ESPN. “We knew it was going to be a big event, we knew it was going to be a semi-hostile crowd. And I think what I’d say is the confidence is what we lacked. Mexico certainly had it.”

Perhaps the US team lacked a bit of inexperience in the midfield. Weston McKennie proved to be a threat on both ends of the pitch earlier in the tournament, but like Pulisic, seemed to fail to impact the game in anyway. On the other side of midfield, the most experienced player on the field Michael Bradley looked to be a step behind the game entirely. Bradley was constantly beat in the midfield and provided a wealth of turnovers in crucial areas.

“We have a quality team, and we believe in a lot of the young players,” said Berhalter, according to ESPN. “We think that at the end of the day, we need to gain experience. A game like this is perfect for us. It was a big occasion, a lot of the players’ first time playing in a game like this, and we need to learn. We weren’t ready for the step tonight but we will be ready.”

The U.S. Men’s National Team kicked off their journey through this summer’s Concacaf regional tournament, where the men’s team will be seeking their seventh Gold Cup title. If the U.S. were to win this year’s tournament, they would tie Mexico’s seven titles and help them drastically qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Ever since the U.S. failed to qualify for 2018 World Cup after losing to Trinidad and Tobago, there have been high tensions in the locker room. This year, under new head coach Gregg Berhalter, the U.S. is looking for a fresh start, which they got.

The U.S. opened group play with a 4-0 over Guyana on the back of newcomer Tyler Boyd and his brace. There are some new faces in and around the team along with Boyd, like the exciting midfielder Weston McKennie, who got two assists Tuesday night, pairing with the old-timer Michael Bradley in the middle. Christian Pulisic made an appearance for the team after lacking serious national team minutes last year thanks to a multitude of injuries. The newest Chelsea signing looks to be the focal point in the men’s team, with Berhalter licensing him to roam free and become the impact player the men’s team has been lacking for years. Gyasi Zardes got on the score sheet, as well as Paul Arriola.

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019- TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Development under Berhalter and his staff will be on display in this Gold Cup tournament. High-stakes matches will give fans and the board a quality outlook on what’s to come for the men’s team.

The U.S. team has Trinidad and Tobago next on June 22, and will be looking for nothing short of revenge. Fans and players alike will be seeking a must-win to prove that they are not that same team that lost to them back in October of 2017, one of the lower points of U.S. Soccer history.

Another match to look out for is Mexico vs. Canada on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. EST, broadcasted on Fox Sports 1. Mexico won their first group play game against Cuba 7-0, behind Uriel Antuna’s hat trick.

Mexican national soccer team coach Juan Carlos Osorio made it clear after his squad’s 2-0 round of 16 loss to Brazil in the FIFA World Cup on Monday that he was very unhappy with the game’s officiating, claiming the referees favored Brazil.

Mexico Coach Slams Neymar

Now, the 56-year-old Colombian has directed his anger toward someone else: Brazilian superstar Neymar. Osorio accused the 26-year-old Paris St-Germain forward of being overly dramatic about the severity of his injuries.

“We had control of the match, but to me it is just shameful that so much time could be lost over one player,” Osorio told ESPN. “The delay for one player was even four minutes, and that is a lesson for even children who play. This should be a game of men and not so much clowning around.”

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The coach was referring to an incident that happened about midway through the second half of Monday’s game. As Brazil led 1-0, Neymar was sitting on the field after chasing a ball that ended up out of bounds. Mexico’s Miguel Layun walked over to him and picked up the ball and while doing so, seemingly stepped on the Brazilian’s ankle. Neymar started writhing in pain on the floor and play was stopped for several moments.

Neymar was not taken out, however, and eventually jogged back onto the field after he realized he could continue playing. Many fans on social media appeared to agree with Osorio that Neymar was simply being theatrical and people criticized the star player for his antics.

According to ESPN, Layun said he didn’t purposely step on Neymar, and the Mexican defender said Neymar shouldn’t have complained that much because injuries are just part of the sport.

“In the end, it’s football. If he doesn’t want to be touched then he should do something else,” Layun said. “If he wants to be on the floor he should go lie down in his house. I touched him a little, but it was because when I went to collect the ball he tried to half-block me so I couldn’t. I wasn’t even looking at him. I was looking at the ball.”

“The referee even told me that, ‘We’ve looked at it and it’s not been a situation that you did with the intention of touching him.'”

Neymar is one of the most expensive soccer players in the world, having transferred from Barcelona to Paris St-Germain in 2017 for € 222 million (roughly $260 million).

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Despite criticizing the referees for being biased toward Brazil, Osorio also conceded that Mexico did not have as strong of an attacking strategy. Monday’s game marked 39-year-old Mexican defender Rafael Marquez‘s last career international match. Marquez is retiring amid allegations of having ties to drug cartels accused of money laundering, which has prompted the U.S. Treasury Department to open an investigation into him and these organizations.

Brazil next plays Belgium in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Mexico crashed out of the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Monday after a 2-0 second-round loss to Brazil in Samara, Russia.

Brazil Beats Mexico In World Cup 2018

Neymar and Roberto Firmino scored for five-time World Cup champions Brazil in the second half to propel the team into the quarter-finals. Mexico has now been knocked out of seven straight World Cups in the round of 16, after four total games played.

Mexico’s coach, Colombian Juan Carlos Osorio,  heavily criticized Neymar without naming him — specifically accusing the superstar of “acting” or faking the severity of his injuries —, as well as the referees for what he perceived to be unfair calls that favored Brazil.

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After beating defending World Cup winners Germany 1-0 in their opening game, Mexico had drawn the admiration of many fans. El Tri then defeated South Korea 2-1 in its second game, and despite losing to Sweden 3-0 in their final group-stage contest, advanced to the second round after the asian nation eliminated Germany with their own shocking 2-0 triumph.

Brazil will now face Belgium in the quarterfinals on Friday at 2pm EST. Belgium advanced by eliminating Japan with a 3-2 comeback win after trailing 2-0 early in the second half.

Mexico had some strong scoring chances in the first half, starting in the ninth minute. On a corner kick, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez crashed into Brazil’s goalie Alisson Becker in an attempt to head in the ball. However, Brazil also threatened with several shots in the first half, and Mexico’s goalie Guillermo Ochoa was there to make multiple key stops, including one from Gabriel Jesus in the 33rd. Ochoa also denied Philippe Coutinho, Paulinho and other Brazilian attackers’ strikes in the second half.

Neymar put Brazil up 1-0 in the 51st minute, after he carried the ball across the top of the box and then back-passed it to Willian, who tapped it near the left side of the goal and Neymar re-connected to shoot from close range into a nearly wide-open goal, as Ochoa had been jockeying to make a save near one post.

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Carlos Vela had an opportunity for Mexico in the 61st, but Becker bumped it over the crossbar. In the 71st minute, Neymar was writhing on the ground after a tackle, and it appeared that Mexico’s Miguel Layun stepped on the Brazilian star’s foot while walking over to pick up the ball, and Neymar subsequently seemed to be in even greater pain.

The referee eventually gave Layun a yellow card after he took down Neymar again six minutes later.

Firmino doubled Brazil’s lead in the 88th minute with a goal similar to the first. After racing down the left side, he delivered a short cross that Firmino met to tap in from a few yards out after also running to meet the ball. Just moments before that goal, Osorio was seen furiously arguing with officials on the sideline about a previous call.

Belgium beat Japan 3-2 later on Monday thanks to a late goal from Nacer Chadli. Japan had been leading 2-0 after scoring two goals early in the second half. In the 48th minute, Belgium’s Jan Vertonghen, a Tottenham Hotspur defender, failed to intercept a pass that he could have stopped, and Genki Haraguchi raced forward to put the Asians up 1-0. Four minutes later, Japan doubled their lead after Takashi Inui fired a stellar strike from just outside the box. Vertonghen redeemed himself from his mistake to score Belgium’s first goal with a brilliant, powerful header from a difficult left-side angle in the 69th minute. Marouane Fellaini tied it five minutes later, and Chadli netted the game-winner in the 94th, using Romelu Lukaku as a dummy.

The last two round of 16 games will be played on Tuesday. Sweden and Switzerland will face off first, and the winner of that game will play the winner of England vs. Colombia in the quarterfinals.

Germany, the defending FIFA World Cup champions, were knocked out of the tournament on Wednesday after a shocking 2-0 loss to South Korea in Kazan, Russia.

Germany Knocked Out Of FIFA World Cup 2018

South Korea — which had lost its first two games of the tournament to Sweden and Mexico — scored two goals in second-half injury time to eliminate Germany after just one round of play, which finished fourth in its group with just three points.

Mexico also lost to Sweden 3-0 after the latter team scored three goals in the second half of a game that was played at the same time as the aforementioned contest, but both teams from Group F reached the round of 16 after finishing with six points apiece. South Korea’s victory ensured that Mexico could advance to the second round.

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Mexican fans had started losing all hope of staying in the World Cup, as a victory from Germany would have effectively knocked the Latin Americans out. But after South Korea scored a goal three minutes into second-half stoppage time, Mexican fans started rejoicing, and the cries of elation at the arena in Yekaterinburg only intensified after South Korea scored again three minutes later, and by then it was Germany’s players and fans who were looking completely dejected and miserable. This is the first time Germany has ever been eliminated from the World Cup after the first round in the national team’s history.

Germany finished with 26 shots on Wednesday, but just couldn’t get past South Korean goalie Jo Hyeon-Woo.

South Korea’s first goal was not immediately certain, as it was reviewed for a potential offside. After a shot off the corner, the ball slipped through to Kim Young-Gwon near the back post. Following a quick touch, Kim fired a shot that deflected off German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s foot and into the goal. After a review that lasted about a minute, the play was ruled onside because it was a German player who accidentally passed the ball to Kim.

The Asians added insult to injury by scoring again in the 96th minute. Neuer had come out of his goal by that point as Germany was desperate for two goals to win the game. South Korea made a long kick from near their own goal and the ball fell to Son Heung-Min, who was uncovered and far ahead of Germany’s defenders. He tapped it into the net from about a yard away to make it 2-0 and erase Germany’s hopes, four years after the European powerhouse won the World Cup in Brazil after defeating Argentina in the final.

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Mexico put up a strong fight against Sweden in the first half on Wednesday, with several scoring chances from Carlos Vela and other players. Sweden also played well in the first half. However, El Tri seemed to fall apart after halftime, and Sweden scored just five minutes following the break when Ludwig Augustinsson one-timed a pass by Viktor Claesson from a difficult angle near the right post. His high shot flew over goalie Guillermo Ochoa‘s head. Then in the 61st minute, Andreas Granqvist made it 2-0 on a penalty kick that was awarded to Sweden after defenseman Hector Morena tackled Emil Berg to the ground in the box. Sweden’s third goal was an own goal from Mexico: In the 74th minute, Edson Alvarez became overeager while playing defense and accidentally deflected the ball past Ochoa with his hand.

In the first half, Mexico’s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez was reviewed for a possible hand-ball in the box that could have resulted in a penalty for Sweden in the 29th minute, but after video review the officials say Hernandez unintentionally hit the ball off his arm after bringing it down with his chest. Sweden’s coach was fuming after the call and started arguing with the Argentine referee.

Sweden, which finished first in Group F, will now face the Group E runner-up, while Mexico will play that same group’s winner in the round of 16. Those opponents will be determined after Group E’s final two games are played later on Wednesday: Brazil will face Serbia, while Switzerland plays Costa Rica. Brazil, a five-time World Cup champion, was predicted to win its group again this year as usual, although today’s results prove that anything is possible in soccer.

On Thursday, Mexico’s soccer federation and at least two of the national team’s star players jumped on social media as part of an effort to eliminate a homophobic chant that fans have long chanted during games.

Mexican Soccer Tries To End Homophobic Chant

The move came one day after FIFA fined Mexico $10,000 for its fans’ repeated use of the word “puto,” a slur that roughly translates to “faggot” and is thus perceived as homophobic by many. Fans usually scream the derisive word after a goalie from the opposing team kicks the ball off into the field. For years, FIFA and other soccer organizations have been striving to get fans to stop using the slur through the use of fines and other sanctions.

Mexican fans reportedly shouted the word at the national team’s 1-0 upset victory over Germany at the World Cup in Russia on Sunday.

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Mexico midfielder Andres Guardado, the team’s captain for its first game, was one of two players to urge fans to stop using the word “puto.”

“Let us show that as Mexicans our values are of respect and cordiality,” he wrote on Twitter on Thursday morning. “We have been received with open arms, it is time to show that we are excellent visitors.”

Star forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez also commented on the controversial chant:

“To all Mexican fans in the stadiums, don’t shout ‘puto’,” Hernandez wrote in his Instagram story. “Let’s not risk another sanction.”

The country’s soccer federation also posted statements in English and in Spanish on its social media accounts, and warned of the punishments that could be dealt for shouting the word:

“Let’s show the world we have the best fans!!” the federation’s English-language Twitter account posted. “Avoid getting your Fan ID taken away from you.”

FIFA said in a statement that it would not tolerate any type of discrimination under any circumstances, while ESPN reported that monitors at stadiums could start ejecting fans who partake in the chant.

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During Mexico’s games in World Cup qualifying, public addresses about the chant were reportedly even made over the announcing system at stadiums.

CONCACAF, the regional confederation in which Mexico plays, also recently unveiled its own anti-discrimination rules.

A term like “puto” also carries significant meaning in a country like Russia, where homophobia is rampant and gay people are treated very poorly, to say the least.

Last month, Grupo Modelo — one of Mexico’s biggest beer companies — started an advertising campaign for its Victoria beer in which it recommended 2018 Word Cup attendants to start shouting “Putin!” instead, a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

However, the effort did not gain much following and was criticized by many, including the Russian ambassador to Mexico.

Mexico stunned soccer fans around the globe on Sunday after defeating Germany 1-0 in both teams’ opening FIFA World Cup game in Moscow.

Mexico Tops Germany 1-0 In World Cup 2018 Opener

Fans leaped for joy after El Tri scored late in the first half, and the celebrations were reportedly so intense that seismic shifts took place in Mexico City — literally.

The Institute of Geological and Atmospheric Investigations stated that highly sensitive earthquake sensors detected tremors at two spots in the capital just seconds after Mexico’s national team scored in the 35th minute of the matchup, which began at 11am EST.

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The New York Times’ Kirk Simple shared a report on the tremor:

The sounds of cheers, vuvuzuelas and horns were heard all throughout Mexico and all around the world where natives from the country were attentively watching the contest. Many fans also began singing “Cielito Lindo,” (“Pretty Little Sky”) a well-known folk song that is often played at many of the national team’s games.

The victory for Mexico carried extra significance as it came on Father’s Day. The big win also came almost exactly nine months after a real, deadly 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Mexico City in September 2017, killing hundreds and leaving dozens more injured. Several other minor tremors also hit the city’s greater area last fall.

Shortly after the victory, Mexico’s president Enrique Peña Nieto wrote on Twitter, in Spanish: “Confirmed: Mexico competes and wins against the best in the world. Many congratulations to @miseleccionmx! Great game!”

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Peña Nieto then announced in a separate tweet that the country’s federal government would offer free gasoline for all, although he did not specify if it was simply for that day or for longer.

Mexico is set to hold presidential elections on July 1, and left-wing MORENA party candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador — who has long been a prominent figure in the country’s politics and is commonly known as AMLO — holds a significant lead in the polls.

The hero of the matchup was 22-year-old Hirving “Chucky” Lozano,” a winger who plays for Dutch club PSV and a rising star in Mexican soccer. In the 35th minute, Mexico went on a rapid attack as Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez played a give-and-go pass and then fed Lozano, who collected the ball in the penalty box, just yards from the goal on the left side. After a quick, deft maneuver, Lozano beat German midfielder Mesut Ozil — an Arsenal star — and fired a low shot to goalie Manuel Neuer‘s right side to put Mexico up 1-0.

The goal was a tremendous boost to Mexico, given that Germany are the defending World Cup champions after beating Argentina 1-0 in the final in Brazil in 2014. Neuer was the Golden Glove winner for that tournament.

Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa — who is playing in his fourth World Cup — also delivered a stellar performance, blocking many of Germany’s shots, including a free kick from Toni Kroos that came just three minutes after Lozano’s goal. Ochoa jumped to make the save and the ball hit the crossbar.

Germany — which dominated possession 60-40 — had 26 shots, nine of them on goal, as well as eight corner kicks but couldn’t get past Ochoa and El Tri’s defense. Mexico finished with 13 shots, four on target and just one corner kick, as well as two offsides versus only one for Germany.

Mexico now has three points in its group thanks to the victory, and will next play South Korea in Rostov-on-Don, Russia on Saturday. South Korea fell to Sweden 1-0 on Monday in its opening game, thus Sweden and Mexico lead Group F with three points each.

In Group E, Serbia defeated Costa Rica 1-0 on Sunday.

The United States, Canada and Mexico all scored a big victory on Wednesday after FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, approved their joint campaign to host the 2026 World Cup.

U.S., Canada And Mexico To Host 2026 World Cup

The decision was made at FIFA’s congress in Moscow, Russia, where this year’s World Cup is being held. The three North American countries beat out Morocco, the only other candidate, for the 2026 tournament hosting rights by a vote of 134-65.

This marks the first time the global soccer tournament is hosted by three nations. The U.S. previously hosted the World Cup in 1994, while the competition took place in Mexico in 1970 and 1986. Canada has never hosted the men’s World Cup, although it hosted the Women’s World Cup in 2015.

The 2026 World Cup will also be the first time the soccer tournament is expanded to include 48 national teams compared to its current 32. Thus, 80 games are expected to be played in total instead of 64. This new decision comes under the leadership of Gianni Infantino, who took over as FIFA president in February 2016. Infantino replaced fellow Swiss Sepp Blatter, who resigned as president in late 2015 amid a giant corruption scandal that involved bribery, money laundering and other financial crimes. Blatter — who has been banned from FIFA until 2022 — had endorsed Morocco to host the 2026 World Cup. Qatar will play host for the 2022 soccer tournament.

The move to increase the number of countries competing in the World Cup, made early last year, received mixed reactions. Critics said including more teams would hurt the competition level and could lead to financial problems due to the need to build more stadiums and broadcast more games, among other reasons.

“Football is the only victor. We are all united in football,” US Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro, who was elected in February, said on Wednesday. “Thank you so, so much for this incredible honor. Thank you for entrusting us with this privilege.”

Out of the 211 member countries of FIFA, 200 cast their vote on Wednesday for the 2026 hosting bid, according to BBC. Officials from some nations reportedly voiced concern over the U.S.’s gun and visa laws before making their decision.

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Allegations of bribery and vote-buying had also plagued the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting decisions. In the case of Qatar, there were also claims that workers’ rights have been abused while construction employees strive to build stadiums in the country.

According to The New York Times, the U.S. Soccer Federation “spent more than $6 million — out of a combined budget of about $8 million — to bring the World Cup back to North America.”

Of the 80 games played at the 2026 World Cup, 10 will be held in Mexico and Canada each, while the U.S. will host the other 60 matches, including the final. The final will be played at the New York Giants’ MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

On Tuesday, The New York Times reported that President Donald Trump had recently written three letters addressed to Infantino that may have played a large role in the decision to let the U.S. co-host the 2026 World Cup.

This decision also comes after Trump has been feuding with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over trade following the G7 summit, which was held in Quebec over the weekend.

The World Cup has garnered a growing number of American fans in recent years, even in 2018 after the U.S. failed to qualify. The U.S. has thus far sold the second-highest number of tickets for this year’s tournament after Russia.

Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay are reportedly also bidding to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will mark the 100th anniversary of the tournament.

The United States, Mexico and Canada unveiled on Tuesday their preliminary list of candidate host cities and stadiums for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as part of their joint bid to organize the tournament.

2026 FIFA World Cup news

The list includes 49 venues across 44 cities to host 80 games in the 48-nation competition. Earlier this year, FIFA officials voted to increase the number of teams competing in the World Cup from the current 32.

As part of the three countries’ joint bid, the U.S. is set to host 60 games, while Mexico and Canada would host ten games each.

The 37 stadiums in the U.S. include all 32 NFL teams’ stadiums except for the Buffalo Bills’ New Era Field.

The official bid for the 2026 World Cup by the United States, Mexico and Canada will be delivered to FIFA by the March 16, 2018, deadline and will face competition from Morocco, which announced a bid last week.

The final shortlist of hosting cities and candidates will be announced in late September. Those cities and 20-25 estimated stadiums will then have until January 2018 to make all necessary preparations for their hosting gig. The selected cities will have until Sept. 5 to submit their interest.

The United Bid Committee said Tuesday that “At least 12 locations could ultimately serve as official host cities.”

FIFA requires a capacity of 40,000 for most World Cup games, 60,000 for the semifinals and one of 80,000 for the opener and final, making the only possible venues in the list for those games those in Dallas, Los Angeles and New Jersey, as well as the less likely Washington, Jacksonville and Green Bay.

“The host cities included in our bid will be critical to its success, not only because of their facilities and ability to stage major events, but because they are committed to further developing the sport of soccer by harnessing the impact of hosting a FIFA World Cup,” UBC executive director John Kristick said. “We have had a great response so far and we’re looking forward to working closely with each city and determining the best venues for our official bid that we’ll submit next year.”

The last World Cup the U.S. hosted was in 1994. The U.S. also hosted the 2016 Copa America Centenario.

Here is the full list of potential host cities and stadiums for the 2026 World Cup for all three countries:

USA

37 stadiums in 34 markets

Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Baltimore, M&T Bank Stadium

Birmingham, Legion Field

Boston/Foxborough, Gillette Stadium

Charlotte, Bank of America Stadium

Chicago, Soldier Field

Cincinnati, Paul Brown Stadium

Cleveland, FirstEnergy Stadium

Dallas, Cotton Bowl

Dallas/Arlington, AT&T Stadium

Denver, Sports Authority Field at Mile High

Detroit, Ford Field

Green Bay, Lambeau Field

Houston, NRG Stadium

Indianapolis, Lucas Oil Stadium

Jacksonville, EverBank Field

Kansas City, Arrowhead Stadium

Las Vegas, Raiders Stadium

Los Angeles, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Los Angeles, LA Stadium at Hollywood Park

Los Angeles, Rose Bowl

Miami, Hard Rock Stadium

Minneapolis, US Bank Stadium

Nashville, Nissan Stadium

New Orleans, Mercedes-Benz Superdome

New York/New Jersey, MetLife Stadium

Orlando, Camping World Stadium

Philadelphia, Lincoln Financial Field

Phoenix/Glendale, University of Phoenix Stadium

Pittsburgh, Heinz Field

Salt Lake City, Rice-Eccles Stadium

San Antonio, Alamodome

San Diego, Qualcomm Stadium

San Francisco/San Jose, Levi’s Stadium

Seattle, CenturyLink Field

Tampa, Raymond James Stadium

Washington, D.C./Landover, FedEx Field

CANADA

Nine stadiums in seven markets

Calgary, McMahon Stadium

Edmonton, Commonwealth Stadium

Montreal, Stade Olympique

Montreal, Stade Saputo

Ottawa, TD Place Stadium

Regina, Mosaic Stadium

Toronto, Rogers Centre

Toronto, BMO Field

Vancouver, BC Place

MEXICO

Three stadiums in three markets

Guadalajara, Estadio Chivas

Mexico City, Estadio Azteca

Monterrey, Estadio Rayados

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 10: Sunil Gulati, (center) president of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), Canadian CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani (left) and Mexican Football Federation President Decio De Maria hold up a signed unified bid for the 2026 soccer world cup on April 10, 2017 in New York City. Canada, the United States and Mexico launched their bid to co-host the 2026 World Cup at a news conference atop the Freedom Tower in lower Manhattan. The leaders of the three country’s soccer federations are seeking to host the first World Cup with an expanded 48-nation field. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Mexican national soccer team captain Rafael Marquez has denied U.S. allegations that he has ties to a drug cartel.

Rafael Marquez Drug Cartel Accusations News

Marquez — along with Latin Grammy-nominated Mexican singer Julio Cesar Alvarez Montelongo — is one of 22 individuals and 42 organizations accused of links to a drug trafficking organization led by kingpin Raul Flores Hernandez, who is believed to be linked to the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation gang. Hernandez has allegedly been smuggling drugs and laundering money since the 1980s.

The U.S. Treasury Department claimed on Wednesday that Marquez acted as a “front person” for Hernandez through his soccer school and multiple health and sports outlets including a casino and a music production studio. The department’s statement also alleged the organizations and individuals “held assets on [the drug cartel’s] behalf.”

The statement added that the ruling entailed any assets of theirs under U.S. jurisdiction or controlled by people in the U.S. would be frozen, among other sanctions.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also released a statement after the Treasury Department said this was “the largest single Kingpin Act action against a Mexican drug cartel network that OFAC has designated.”

“Raul Flores Hernandez has operated for decades because of his longstanding relationships with other drug cartels and his use of financial front persons to mask his investments of illegal drug proceeds,” OFAC Director John E. Smith said in a statement, calling the move a “major joint action” with Mexico.

The Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act — passed by Congress in 1999 — gives the Treasury Department the power to freeze assets of foreign nationals it believes are involved in international drug trafficking.

Alvarez, 34, also denied the accusations against him and defended Marquez, who plays with his Guadalajara-based childhood club Atlas in the Mexican league and previously played with Barcelona, Monaco and MLS’s New York Red Bulls.

“Everything I have, I’ve earned,” Alavarez said in a folksy video posted on his Facebook page. “I’ve dedicated myself to making music, and thank God, I don’t have the need to do many of the things they’re accusing me of.”

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto once hailed Alvarez as “a great example for Mexican youth.” Incidentally,Peña Nieto had posted a picture of himself with Alvarez on Instagram earlier this week, although he deleted it just before news of the sanctions against the singer broke out.

A spokesman from the president’s office declined to comment on why the photo was deleted.

“He’s got one of the longest careers in football,” the Norteño singer added of Marquez in the video. “Do you really think he would need to do something like this?”

Marquez — who hails from the cartel-riddle state of Michoacan — has captained Mexico in each of the last four FIFA World Cups, and has scored 19 goals and won 143 international games to become Mexico’s most-capped player. The 38-year-old defensive midfielder — known as “Rafa” by fans — has played for Mexico’s national team since 1997 and has captained the squad since 2002.

In addition to his accomplishments with Mexico’s national team, Marquez also helped lead Barcelona to four Spanish league titles and two Champions League trophies.

According to a goal.com article from June, Marquez plans to retire from playing soccer after the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Neither Atlas nor Marquez’s agent could be reached for comment on the accusations on Wednesday.

The development comes after U.S. President Donald Trump promised to destroy Mexican drug cartels.

Mexico handily defeated El Salvador 3-1 in its CONCACAF Gold Cup opening game in San Diego on Sunday.

Mexico El Salvador CONCACAF Gold Cup

Midfielder Elias Hernandez contributed a goal and two assists for El Tri, which was playing without head coach Juan Carlos Osorio. The Colombian sat in a suite at the Chargers’ former Qualcomm Stadium to serve the first game of a six-game suspension for arguing with an official in the Confederations Cup third-place game against Portugal on July 2, a matchup Mexico lost 2-1.

Defender Hedgardo Marin scored his first goal with Mexico on a header off Hernandez’s pinpointed free kick to give the team a 1-0 lead just eight minutes in. Marin jumped to head the ball into the top corner of goalkeeper Benji Villalobos’s far post.

El Salvador — which is ranked 103rd in the world by FIFA — tied it two minutes later on a breakaway from Nelson Bonilla.

Rodolfo Zelaya fed a through-ball to Bonilla, who slotted a ground shot from close range past onrushing goalie Jesus Corona. and just inside the far post.

Corono made a mistake shortly afterwards that nearly handed El Salvador another goal: his rollout to the middle of the field ended with a shot over his crossbar.

In the 29th minute, Hernandez made it 2-1 with a volley shot. The 29-year-old Leon midfielder — who joined Mexico’s national team in 2010 — took a lobbed cross from Jesus Gallardo from the right side and one-timed a hard, low shot past Villalobos.

Mexico’s final goal came in the 55th minute. Hernandez whipped a cross from the right after taking a long lob pass from Corona, but his initial target — forward Angel Sepulveda — was unable to connect by sliding in from directly in front of the goal. However, Orbelin Pineda kicked into a nearly-wide-open net from the left side as Villalobos raced out to make the save.

Pineda celebrated by performing two somersaults. By that point, the heavily pro-Mexico crowd of 53,133 was roaring.

With the victory, Mexico now leads Group C with three points. Jamaica is in second and also has three points after beating Curaçao 2-0 on Sunday. Should Osorio serve his full ban, he would miss all of El Tri’s Gold Cup contests even if his team reaches the final. If Mexico doesn’t advance to the title game, the coach could also miss one or more 2018 World Cup qualifiers in September and October.

Mexico — which has won three Gold Cups — next faces Jamaica in their second Group C game on Thursday in Denver at 10:30pm EST.

The United States Men’s National Team — which tied Panama 1-1 in Nashville on Saturday — next faces Martinique in Tampa, Florida on Wednesday at 9 pm EST. The USMNT is third in Group B with one point, while Martinique leads the four-team group following a 2-0 victory over Nicaragua on Saturday.

FOX Sports will air all games of the tournament, which the U.S. and Mexico are favored to win.

Germany defeated Mexico 4-1 in Sochi, Russia on Thursday afternoon to reach the Confederations Cup Final thanks to two early goals from Leon Goretzka.

Germany will face Chile in the Confederations Cup Final on Sunday

Goretzka, a Schalke midfielder, took a feed from Benjamin Henrichs from 20 yards out to put Germany up 1-0 after just six minutes. Goretzka then beat Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa less than two minutes later from Timo Werner’s through ball to double the defending World Cup champions’ lead.

Werner then made a weaving run through midfield and tapped in Jonas Hector’s pass to make it 3-0 one minute before the hour mark.

The Germans’ victory was particularly impressive because most of their top players — including Manuel Neuer, Marco Reus, Thomas Müller, Mesut Özil, Sami Khedira, Mats Hummels and Jérôme Boateng — were not in Russia on Thursday.

Nevertheless, Fisht Stadium ended up at nearly full capacity with 37,923 fans.

Mexico had several scoring opportunities in the first half, but was never able to finish. Forward Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, who plays for German club Bayer Leverkusen, hit one shot over the crossbar, and Hector Herrera had a free-kick blocked by goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen just before the break.

Eintracht Frankfurt attacking midfielder Marco Fabian scored El Tri’s lone goal in the 89th minute with a spectacular shot from 35 yards out. However, Ajax’s Amin Younes responded with a goal off a pass from substitute Mere Can two minutes later to seal Germany’s victory.

Mexico, led by Colombian coach Juan Carlos Osorio, recorded 25 shots on goal and dominated possession (58%), but it evidently wasn’t enough.

“They are fair winners,” Osorio said of Germany in the post-game press conference. “But I think the score line seems like we were too far away and I do not think that was the case.”

The Colombian served as an assistant at Manchester City in the early 2000s.

Germany will face Chile in the tournament final on Sunday, after the South American team defeated Portugal 3-0 in penalties on Wednesday following a 0-0 tie. Mexico and Portugal, the Euro 2016 champions, will play each other in a third-place consolation game on Saturday.

Germany coach Joachim Löw said he is prepared to face a tough opponent in Chile, with whom his team tied 1-1 in a group stage game.

“There is no doubt at all that Chile is the most powerful opponent in this tournament,” Low said. “This football season is drawing to a close, and that means that people are almost hitting a wall when it comes to their physical performance. We will be trying flat out to pull it off again, and I hope – I am actually quite positive – that we can do that versus Chile.”

Chile also routed Mexico 7-0 in the Copa America Centenario quarter-finals in June 2016 to eliminate Osorio’s team from the US-hosted tournament. Mexico won’t be able to exact their revenge on the South American powerhouse just yet.

Michael Bradley proved to be the salvation for the U.S. Men’s National Team on Sunday, scoring an early goal to give the Americans a 1-0 lead in a World Cup Qualifying game in Mexico.

Michael Bradley, U.S. tie Mexico 1-1 in World Cup Qualifier

The USMNT captain, who will turn 30 in July, opened the scoring for head coach Bruce Arena’s team in the sixth minute by intercepting a back pass from Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez in midfield — his natural playing position — and racing downfield to fire a shot from 40 yards out that arced over Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa’s head and flew into the goal.

“Obviously it gave us an advantage early on,” Bradley told Fox Sports 1 of his goal, his 17th career international goal and fifth tally against Mexico. “They had a lot of the ball but tactically the game went the way we expected … any time you get a point here it’s great, the mentality and the commitment from every guy was really good.”

The midfielder, son of former U.S. Men’s soccer team coach Bob Bradley, nearly scored again from long range in the last 20 minutes with a bullet that edged the outside of the post.

The captain, who plays for Toronto FC, also praised his head coach, who took over after Jurgen Klinsmann was fired in November 2016, in his post-game interview.

“We had let a lot of little things drop and I think Bruce has come in and done a really good job,” said Bradley of Arena.

Bradley’s goal marked the USMNT’s fastest strike at Estadio Azteca, beating Charlie Davies’ ninth minute effort in a 2-1 loss on Aug. 12, 2009.

Carlos Vela tied it for the hosts in the 23rd minute. Bobby Wood almost made it 2-0 for the U.S. by taking a shot in the box that Ochoa saved following a deflection. After this, the Real Sociedad forward took a pass from Hernandez on the right sideline after Ochoa fed Hernandez in midfield. Vela cut forward and fired a shot from just outside the box directly in front of the goal that beat goalie Brad Guzan by squeezing in just inside the right post.

The U.S. is now tied with Puerto Rico for second place in the CONCACAF hexagonal with eight points. Mexico, led by Colombian coach Juan Carlos Osorio, leads the six-nation qualifying group for the Russia 2018 World Cup with 14 points. Osorio is a former coach of MLS’s Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls.

Mexico defeated the USMNT 2-1 in Columbus Ohio last November, in the previous round of World Cup Qualifying, just three days after the U.S. election of President Donald Trump, who gained notoriety for his disparaging comments against Mexicans and his promise to build a wall along the border between the two countries. On Sunday, El Tri were without injured players Rafael Marquez, Miguel Layun and Andres Guardado, although Carlos Salcedo unexpectedly recovered from a leg injury. Marquez scored the game-winner for Mexico in the game against the U.S. last November.

Last Thursday, Mexico defeated Honduras — who are now fifth in the hexagonal with four points — 3-0, while the U.S. beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0.

Geoff Cameron, Bradley, DeAndre Yedlin and Christian Pulisic were the only four U.S. players to keep their places on Sunday; left defender Jorge Villafana was injured.

Cameron made a big defensive stop for the U.S. in the 75th minute. Vela slipped a pass to Hirving Lozano into the box on the right, where he raced to the end line before centering a feed that was cut out for a corner kick by Cameron at the near post.

Pulisic leads the CONCACAF with five assists during 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification and has compiled four goals and three assists in his last four international games.

DeAndre Yedlin (44th minute) and Paul Arriola (56th minute) received yellow cards.

Kellyn Acosta, Arriola and Tim Ream all earn their first caps against Mexico.

The U.S. Men are 18-34-14 all-time against Mexico and 6-17-6 vs. El Trí in World Cup Qualifying.

Arena’s squad next hosts Ghana in a friendly on July 1 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut. The USMNT then faces Panama twice: in a CONCACAF Gold Cup group-stage game on July 8 and then in the fifth round of World Cup Qualifiers on Oct. 6.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – SEPTEMBER 06: Michael Bradley #4 of the United States makes a pass during the FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier against Trinidad & Tobago at EverBank Field on September 6, 2016 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

The Mexican and Irish national soccer teams will face off in a friendly game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Thursday, June 1 and tickets are on sale now!

> BUY Soccer Tickets: Mexico vs. Ireland (June 1) at MetLife Stadium

The game will begin at 8 pm EST, and tickets are available at ticketmaster.com and begin at $33, with the most expensive seats at the home of the New York Giants and Jets of the NFL are priced at $275.

Ireland, led by head manager Martin O’Neill, have played against Mexico four times, tying three and losing once, and two of those games have been played in the U.S., including the 1994 FIFA World Cup Group E game in Orlando. The Irish last played at MetLife Stadium in June 2014, when they faced Portugal.

Mexico, who are 17th in FIFA’s World Cup Rankings, are led by head coach Juan Carlos Osorio. The Mexican team is also getting ready for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, which begins June 17 in Russia, where next year’s World Cup will be held.

Tickets will only be available for box office collection. There is a 15 overall ticket limit for this game.

Caption:PASADENA, CA – OCTOBER 10: The national soccer team of Mexico poses before the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup Qualifier at Rose Bowl on October 10, 2015 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images)

Tom Brady’s missing jersey from Super Bowl LI has been found in Mexico, as well as the jersey the New England Patriots quarterback wore for the national championship game in 2015, Houston police chief Art Acevedo told reporters on Monday.

Tom Brady’s Stolen Super Bowl LI and XLIX Jerseys Found in Mexico

Acevedo confirmed the first jersey, which was reported stolen following Super Bowl LI in Houston in February, was retrieved in Mexico thanks to help from the FBI and Mexican authorities, as was the jersey from Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Arizona.

The NFL said in a statement that investigation from league security, the FBI, and Texas law enforcement officials located the jerseys in the possession of a “credentialed member of the international media.” Acevedo said police are now attempting to authenticate the jerseys, which are “in the hands of the NFL and FBI” in Boston.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport identified the suspect of the stolen jerseys as Mauricio Ortega.

Meanwhile, Fox Sports 1’s Jay Glazer obtained security footage from just after Super Bowl LI, when a man entered the Patriots locker room with players and exited with a bag under his arm. Glazer said authorities were using this video as part of the case:

Brady’s Super Bowl LI jersey was valued at approximately $500,000. Game-used Brady jerseys from regular season games have been sold in the $50,000 range.

The NFL also reached out to the Denver Broncos regarding a recovered helmet that might belong to linebacker and Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller. 

“We have been in contact with NFL security regarding a Denver Broncos helmet that could potentially belong to Von Miller,” the Broncos said in a statement. “As it is an ongoing investigation, we will refer all additional questions and inquiries to the NFL.”

Acevedo said recovering the jersey was “not the highest priority” of his department.

“I told them not to burn the midnight oil,”  Acevedo said. “If it was that important (to the NFL), you’d have better security measures inside the locker room. By the same token, it’s Texas. We have a lot of organizational pride. Our mayor and our (city) council put a lot of effort in welcoming the world to the city of Houston. The only blemish was the theft from the locker room.”

Approximately 5,700 members of the media received credentials for Super Bowl LI, including several hundred from Mexico, where the NFL is attempting to expand a fan base. The Oakland Raiders will play the Patriots in Mexico City next season, and the Raiders and the Houston Texans played there in November, at Estadio Azteca, in what was the second regular-season N.F.L. game there.

Soon after the conclusion of the Patriots’ stunning, come-from-behind Super Bowl LI victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Houston of Feb. 5, Brady was seen on camera complaining that his jersey, which he said he had placed in a bag, was gone.

In the end, however, the quarterback appeared to brush off the fact his jersey was stolen.

“Those are special ones to keep, you know, but what can you do,” he said after receiving a football-shaped trophy for being named the game’s most valuable player. “I’ll take the ring, and that’s good enough for me.”

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Yadier Molina is not happy with Major League Baseball right now.

The St. Louis Cardinals catcher, who is playing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, accused MLB of failing to provide security in the section where his national team’s players’ families sat during a 9-4 victory over Mexico in Guadalajara, Mexico on Saturday.

In the ninth inning, play was interrupted when Puerto Rico players left the dugout and gathered along the wall on the third-base side at Estadio de Béisbol Charros de Jalisco. According to game organizers, a disturbance had happened between a fan and family members of the Puerto Rico team.

Following the game, Molina wrote on his Instagram page that it was a “shame” that players became concerned about their families and that the event had been terribly organized.

“MLB,,, its a shame that you are more interested in making money and not in the security of our family,” Molina said in the post, which he wrote in both English and Spanish. “Its a shame that the players have to be worried about the safety of our family when you were supposed to have security for them,, Horrible organization for the this event, no security for the players family,,, its a shame MLB.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRh_756BIcm/

“Security staff responded quickly and relocated the families to a new area,” said the W.B.C., which is jointly run by M.L.B. and the players’ union, in a statement Sunday. “Stadium security is always our main priority, and we will make every effort to prevent another such situation.”

Play resumed approximately five minutes later, after the stadium announcer urged players to return to the dugout and fans to behave appropriately. After the game, Puerto Rico’s players said no family members had been hurt.

“I know the fans of Mexico are good fans, but the rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico is part of the game,” Puerto Rico shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “It’s too bad that something happens like this, in such a beautiful atmosphere.”

In other news related to the WBC, Mexico filed a protest after it was eliminated from the tournament due to falling short of playing in a tiebreaker despite defeating Venezuela in its final game.

Mexico beat Venezuela 11-9, which left it with the same record as Venezuela and Italy. But the latter two teams will play a tie-breaking game tonight in Guadalajara because Venezueal edged Mexico in the tiebreaker. The margin of victory in this tiebreaker was incredibly slim: 1.11 to 1.12.

Mexico’s manager, Edgar Gonzalez, questioned whether his team’s partial inning against Italy – it gave up five ninth-inning runs, but failed to record an out in the 10-9 walk-off loss – should count in the computations.

His brother, Los Angeles Dodgers star and Mexico first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, was even more pointed, claiming the Mexicans were told before the game that a two-run victory would be sufficient for the team to reach the tiebreaker. He later told reporters the conclusion would make him think harder before participating in future WBCs.

Adrian Gonzales seemed to be up all night filing the protest.

The winner of tonight’s tiebreaker game will join Pool D winner Puerto Rico – which went 3-0 in Guadalajara – in the second round at San Diego’s Petco Park, beginning Tuesday.
PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 06: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds third after hitting a grand slam home run in the first inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 6, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

CONCACAF announced on Monday the 14 stadiums in 13 cities that will serve as venues for next summer’s 2017 Gold Cup, which the U.S. will host from July 7-26.

CONCACAF Announces 14 Venues For 2017 Gold Cup

Four of the venues will host matches from the biennial championship for the first time, while the other 10 have previously hosted at least one Gold Cup game over the previous 13 editions of the tournament.

The first-time hosts are the Alamodome (San Antonio), FirstEnergy Stadium (Cleveland), Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California) and Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee).

“We’re excited to bring the Gold Cup to new markets across the country. These cities have all proved ready and eager to host our region’s marquee soccer championship, and welcome world class international soccer next summer,” CONCACAF general secretary Philippe Moggio said in a statement. “With matches also set for some of our more popular venues over the years, such as Dallas, Los Angeles and New York, next year’s Gold Cup will highlight the top-tier sporting status of international soccer across the nation.”

CONCACAF also announced the U.S. and Mexico’s group schedules. They will headline Group B and C, respectively.

The USMNT will open their tournament at Nissan Stadium on July 8, play their second group game at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium on July 12 and conclude group play on July 15 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Mexico will begin on July 9 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, then on July 13 at Sports Authority Field in Denver and on July 16 at the Alamodome.

MLS venues, including Red Bull Arena, the Houston Dynamo’s BBVA Compass Stadium and FC Dallas’ Toyota Stadium, will serve as venues for all three rounds of Group A games.

NFL stadiums AT&T Stadium, Levi’s Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, the Rose Bowl and University of Phoenix Stadium will host Knockout Round matches.

Thus far, seven teams (Canada, Curacao, French Guiana, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico and the U.S.) have qualified for the competition, with four more entrants to be determined by January’s Central American championship. The final Gold Cup spot will be determined by a playoff between a Caribbean team and a Central American country.

The winner of the tournament will be guaranteed a spot in the next CONCACAF Cup, a single knockout game to qualify for the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup, unless that same team claims the 2019 edition of the Gold Cup.

Group stage dates and venues
July 7, Group A: NY/NJ – Red Bull Arena (Harrison, New Jersey)
July 8, Group B: Nashville – Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
July 9, Group C: San Diego – Qualcomm Stadium (San Diego)
July 11, Group A: Houston – BBVA Compass Stadium (Houston)
July 12, Group B: Tampa Bay – Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
July 13, Group C: Denver – Sports Authority Field (Denver)
July 14, Group A: Dallas – Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
July 15, Group B: Cleveland – FirstEnergy Stadium (Cleveland)
July 16, Group C: San Antonio – Alamodome (San Antonio)

Knockout round venues (alphabetical order by metropolitan area)
Bay Area – Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California)
Dallas – AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
Los Angeles – Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
Philadelphia – Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
Phoenix – University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)

CHESTER, PA – JULY 25: Armando Cooper #11 of Panama holds off Joe Corona #24 of the United States in the second half during the CONCACAF Gold Cup Third Place Match at PPL Park on July 25, 2015 in Chester, Pennsylvania. Panama won in a penalty shootout. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The U.S. men’s volleyball team has come a long way in the 2016 Rio Olympic tournament, going from near-elimination to holding a genuine shot at the No. 2 seed in Group A.

U.S. Men’s Volleyball Beat Mexico In Rio To Reach Quarterfinals

The Americans defeated Mexico in their final match of preliminary rounds on Monday, thus earning nine points and securing a spot in the quarterfinals.

The U.S.’s 25-23, 25-11, 25-19 victory over Mexico was their third straight.

Before the fifth day of group play, the U.S. was tied with Brazil, Canada and France with six points in Pool A, but only one of those three teams could advance. Brazil and France will play Monday night.

The U.S. was swept by Canada and Italy in their first two matches in Rio, then improved by defeating the No. 1 team, Brazil, on Day 3 and then topping France on Day 4. Both of the Americans’ wins came in four sets.

Matt Anderson– one of the U.S.’s top players who played a big role in the victories over France and Brazil– sat out agains Mexico on Monday, benched early for Murphy Troy.

Tyler Sander’s kill from the left side on match point sealed it. He is one of several among the U.S. squad’s eight first-time Olympians to vastly improve over the past three matches.

“We all had to pick it up,” Sander said. “Those first two matches, we weren’t playing USA Volleyball. We weren’t aggressive, we weren’t giving our heart every single point. Our coaching staff did a good job holding us accountable. We had a couple team meetings. We all just sat and talked about what we needed to do to win. We talked about it, then we went and did it.”

Stellar, 24, who had struggled with an inconsistent serve in the first two games, played great defensively on Monday for the fifth-ranked Americans. He also has been growing a mustache during the Games– not so much out of superstition, but rather because his teammates won’t permit him or Kawika Shoji to shave given how things have turned out for the team thus far during this competition.

“We’re going red polos and mustaches apparently,” U.S. coach John Speraw joked of the facial hair and coaches’ red shirts worn on match day.

Sander and his teammates were greeted by chants of “U-S-A!” when they entered for pre-game warmups to face eliminated Mexico (0-5).

The U.S. will find out its opponent in the quarterfinals Monday night.

Reid Priddy, who is playing in his fourth Olympics, also commented on how far the Americans have come in Rio.

“The enormity of the Olympic Games requires a 24-hour learning curve. We’ve been able to respond after those first two matches,” the 38-year-old Priddy said. “In fact, I think it put us right in the mentality of where we need to be. …

“We’re almost more prepared now to face this quarterfinal match than we would have been had we swept 5-0.”

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 15: Carlos Guerra #9 spikes the ball gainst Taylor Sander #3, David Lee #4 and Michah Christenson #11 of the United States during the men’s qualifying volleyball match between Mexico and the United States on Day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracanazinho on August 15, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)