For the first time in its history, Austin’s Q2 Stadium will host a major international competition when the 2024 Copa America group stage heads to the home of Austin FC on June 30 and July 2.
Q2 Stadium was selected Monday as one of 14 stadiums to host Copa America, the continental championship of South America’s CONMEBOL confederation. The 107-year-old competition is recognized as the oldest and one of the most prestigious national team soccer tournaments in the world. It’s taking place in the United States for just the second time ever this summer, and will include six North American nations – including the United States and Mexico – in addition to the 10 CONMEBOL teams that typically contest the tournament.
Copa America is generally regarded as one of soccer’s three major international tournaments, on par with the European Championships and a notch below the FIFA World Cup. The competition has historically been dominated by world soccer powers Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, who have won a combined 39 of the 47 tournaments and featured some of the greatest players in the sports’ history, namely Pelé, Diego Maradona, and Lionel Messi.
Of the 14 host stadiums, Q2 is one of just three MLS-specific venues – along with Kansas City’s Children’s Mercy Park and Orlando’s Exploria Stadium – to make the cut. The 11 other venues are NFL stadiums with seating capacities over three times Q2’s max of 20,738.
Because of that, Austin will unfortunately not be welcoming any of the top teams in the field. While the exact matchups are not yet known, we do know who won’t be making the trip down to Central Texas, namely: Argentina, Mexico, USA, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The nations eligible to be drawn to Austin include Chile, Panama, Venezuela, Paraguay, Jamaica, and Bolivia, as well as two other CONCACAF nations that have yet to be determined, but could include Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, or Honduras.
Austin FC fans may root for Venezuela to get the nod so that ATXFC and Vinotinto midfielder Dani Pereira potentially gets to play on his home pitch. Should Costa Rica qualify for the tournament, Verde defender Julio Cascante could also find himself donning his national team colors on his club’s home field.
“Q2 Stadium has already proven itself to be a top destination for international soccer and we look forward to hosting passionate fans from all over the Americas,” Austin FC president Andy Loughnane said in a statement.
For more Austin FC news and analysis, visit The Austin Chronicle‘s Austin FC hub. Follow “The Verde Report” columnist Eric Goodman on Twitter: @goodman.
This article appears in December 1 • 2023.
