LUQUE, PARA – Denver got cold-shouldered again. In what started as a wishful thinking day for Colorado soccer fans, it end with deflated emotions as the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) in conjunction with Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) named 14 cities in the United States to host the most prestigious national team soccer tournament in our hemisphere.
Denver did not make the cut, as expected. It was not even an afterthought.
The month-long tournament is one of the oldest competitions in world football, older than the World Cup. It is scheduled to kick-off on June 20, 2024, and will be played in 14 major league stadiums across 10 states.
Sixteen teams, including Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Jamaica, Panama and the United States from North America, the Caribbean, and Central and South America will complete in 32 matches during this, the 48th edition of the tourney.
Regional rivals Kansas City, Kansas and Phoenix, Arizona were award bids to play host to the international smack down.
DICK’S Sporting Good Park in Commerce City and Mile High Stadium could have just as easily held daylight and evening games, as their distant neighbor metropolises will.
Despite a sizeable fan base, college and professional training facilities, a plethora of hotels, fine dining, comfortable summer climate, an international airport and rather easy public transportation, Denver lost out, just as it did for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Soccer Tournament, when Kansas City, Dallas and Houston edged out Denver.
Whatever the reasons are why Denver cannot out compete Kansas City, Austin, Phoenix, even Las Vegas, dumbfounds local soccer fans. Why was it not considered? Or did the local football organizations and community leadership not step up and try, again?
Metro Denver has regularly hosted international soccer events at Mile High Stadium and DICK’s including friendly and competetive Concacaf games.
DICK’s has hosted numerous sold-out United States Women’s and Men’s soccer games, even in a foot of wet Colorado snow.
In 2013, 2017 and 2019, Empower Field at Mile High admirably welcomed major soccer events including the Concacaf Gold Cup. The 2019 Gold Cup tournament drew a crowd of more than 52,000.
In 2021, Denver played host to the inaugural Concacaf Nations League Final between the United States and Mexico before a rambunctious crowd at Mile High.
Photo credit: John Babiak
Regrettably, bad behavior by a subset of rowdy intoxicated fans drew international attention. Perhaps damaged Denver’s good reputation?
As painful as it is to accept, these US cities and venues will also host the forthcoming CONMEBOL 2024 Copa America Tournament:
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Florida
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
Q2 Stadium, Austin, Texas
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
Once again, Colorado’s ravenous soccer fans will miss a golden opportunity to watch some of best national soccer teams play here at altitude.
Photo credit: John Babiak
After FIFA announced the cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States that will be hosting the 2026 Men’s World Cup Tournament, then Colorado Rapids head coach, Robin Fraser, said, “I am so disappointed. And I feel like it would’ve been an ideal place, and I look at some of the other cities and I would say no disrespect to the other cities, but Denver is one of the greatest cities in this country, I think.
Fraser continued, “And to not have the opportunity to have a World Cup come here, I think is incredibly disappointing.”
And disappointment prevails, again.
Photo Credit: John Babiak
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One thought on “2024 Copa America: Denver Loses Out on Another Major Tournament”
Denver has always dragged its feet when it comes to landing top soccer events. We can recall that the local tourist board handled the World Cup bid. While other cities bring in all the big guns for these bid presentations, Denver took the cheap way out. When it comes to the World Cup, FIFA wants to know what you will do to make them want to come to Denver. Denver always approaches it from the standpoint: Here is what we have to offer. Surely that’s good enough because we have the Rockies, Broncos, Nuggets etc. To land a World Cup, you need all the political powers of the governor’s office, U.S. senators, House members, celebrities etc. to put on a blockbuster presentation that can compete with the other cities. It’s embarrassing that Denver was easily shut out of the 2026 World Cup, but perhaps even more embarrassing not to even get a Copa America game. Two huge international soccer events will take place next summer and the summer of 2026 and during that time Denver’s soccer venues will be a ghost town. Until someone can step up WITH ENTHUSIASM AND CLOUT, determined to win such bids, all Colorado soccer fans can do is read articles like this and weep.
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Denver has always dragged its feet when it comes to landing top soccer events. We can recall that the local tourist board handled the World Cup bid. While other cities bring in all the big guns for these bid presentations, Denver took the cheap way out. When it comes to the World Cup, FIFA wants to know what you will do to make them want to come to Denver. Denver always approaches it from the standpoint: Here is what we have to offer. Surely that’s good enough because we have the Rockies, Broncos, Nuggets etc. To land a World Cup, you need all the political powers of the governor’s office, U.S. senators, House members, celebrities etc. to put on a blockbuster presentation that can compete with the other cities. It’s embarrassing that Denver was easily shut out of the 2026 World Cup, but perhaps even more embarrassing not to even get a Copa America game. Two huge international soccer events will take place next summer and the summer of 2026 and during that time Denver’s soccer venues will be a ghost town. Until someone can step up WITH ENTHUSIASM AND CLOUT, determined to win such bids, all Colorado soccer fans can do is read articles like this and weep.