Bank of America Stadium scores more international soccer

CHARLOTTE — Vinay Patel hopes for a soccer rerun next summer.

The Sree Hotels executive pointed to Bank of America Stadium hosting two matches in Conmebol’s Copa América tournament in July as a model for what could be in store in 2025. Copa América is a smaller, regional version of the World Cup among South American national teams; this year, the event was played in the U.S. and included six men’s teams from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Central America and 10 from South America.

One of the two semifinal matches and the third-place match were played at BofA Stadium in July. The semifinal in Charlotte sold out with more than 70,000 fans in the stadium and set a single-day record for hotel room nights sold in Mecklenburg County with near-record average room rates.

Over the weekend, international soccer governing body FIFA — the organization that runs the men’s and women’s World Cups — selected 12 U.S. stadiums for its new and expanded men’s Club World Cup. BofA Stadium is included.

“It’s all the club champions,” Patel told CBJ, referring to the Club World Cup field. “All the top teams from around the globe. As big as the World Cup is, to some degree, these clubs have the same kind of diehard followings as the international teams.”

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