THE Caribbean, will, in 2019, be hosting CONCACAF Gold Cup games for the first time in its history. The news was relayed after CONCACAF confirmed 15 venues across 13 cities for the 2019 Gold Cup to be held in the United States.

The announcement of the U.S. venues marks the first step in kicking off the region-wide soccer event, to be played in the summer of 2019, which has expanded to include a record 16 CONCACAF Member Associations. The initial series of individual market announcements were made in a week-long sequence of local events across the US, featuring local dignitaries and representatives of the local host committees.

“The Gold Cup is anticipated every two years by fans across the region, as a true celebration of the vibrant culture and world-class football that make up our wonderful and diverse One Concacaf region,” said Concacaf President Victor Montagliani.

“The venues selected thus far offer a mix of soccer history as well as a taste of the future of the sport in the US, and we are excited to work with the local host committees to bring the game to fans all over the US. With the upcoming selection of additional venues in the Caribbean and Central America, the Gold Cup becomes a regional event on even more levels, as CONCACF continues to focus on making football accessible to more teams, players and fans.”

Taking place every two years, the CONCACAF Gold Cup is the region’s national team championship. Featuring some of the hemisphere’s top players, the tournament crowns the champion from North and Central America and the Caribbean. Drawing large crowds and millions of television viewers across the region, the Gold Cup is a celebration of soccer, sportsmanship, and culture.

By adding four more teams and exploring the possibility of new host nations, the historic 15th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup will set highs for a number of participating CONCACAF Member Associations, providing access to the highest level of international football for 16 teams and for fans from a wider representation of the CONCACAF region. (SportsMax)