Four-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi and 2014 World Cup runners-up Argentina will appear in one of three Copa América Centenario matches played at CenturyLink Field in Seattle next year.
The home stadium for Sounders FC will host two matches in the group stage and one in the quarterfinal round between June 4-16, as announced Thursday by U.S. Soccer, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) and the Copa America Centenario Local Organizing Committee (LOC).
Seattle is one of 10 host cities for the historic centennial edition of the event, which will be played on U.S. soil for the first time and pit the top teams from the Western Hemisphere against another in a 16-team tournament.
2016 Sounders FC Season Ticket Members will be eligible to purchase tickets for the Copa América Centenario during an exclusive private sale in January. More information on the ticket allocation process will be communicated in the coming weeks. Fans can visit www.CA2016.com for more information.
Currently ranked No. 2 in the world in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings, Argentina will be seeded atop Group D and will play a group stage game on June 14 at CenturyLink Field, with the opponent to be determined during the tournament draw in 2016.
Although next year will mark Argentina’s first-ever game in the Emerald City, Messi played in Seattle in 2009 with Spanish club giants Barcelona. He scored two goals in 45 minutes of play before being subbed off in Barcelona’s 4-0 win over the Sounders in an international friendly that drew nearly 67,000 fans.
Messi is one of three finalists for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or award, and he will learn Jan. 11 if he’s won the prize for the world’s top soccer player for a record fifth time.
Seattle will also host a game between two opponents in Group B on June 4, as well as a quarterfinal game on June 16 between the top finisher from Group A and the runner-up in Group B. The two opponents for the match on June 4 will be determined in next year’s draw, but there is a chance Seattle fans could see the United States play at CenturyLink Field for the first time in three years in the quarterfinal round.
The U.S. will compete in Group A, while Brazil will compete in Group B. Should the U.S. win its group, head coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s team will make its first appearance in Seattle since beating Panama 2-0 in a World Cup Qualifying match on June 11, 2013. As for Brazil, they played Canada at then Qwest Field in 2008.
“Copa America Centenario 2016 in the United States is huge. It’s almost like a World Cup," Klinsmann said. "The Copa America is similar to the European Championship, so it’s kind of just one step below the World Cup and having that hosted in the United States with big teams like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and our neighbors Mexico along with other CONCACAF nations joining in a 16-team tournament next summer is an unbelievable opportunity.
"For us, it’s a wonderful way to kind of test the players out, to see where we are at that point in time. Obviously, the big picture is always the World Cup 2018 in Russia, but a Copa America is something special so there will be packed stadiums, a lot of fans from all over the place and many exciting games to watch. So we are thrilled to host Copa America.”
From CONCACAF, host United States and Mexico are automatic qualifiers for next summer’s tournament, while Costa Rica (2014 Central American Cup winner) and Jamaica (2014 CFU Caribbean Cup winner) qualified with regional championships last year.
The final two teams from CONCACAF will be determined in a double-header playoff set to be played Jan. 8, 2016, in Panama City. Trinidad & Tobago will face Haiti, and Panama squares off against Cuba with the winners qualifying for the Copa América Centenario.
The South American field for the tournament features Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
The other host metropolitan areas and respective stadiums for the Copa América Centenario are: Foxborough (Gillette Stadium), Chicago (Soldier Field), Houston (NRG Stadium), Pasadena (Rose Bowl), New York/New Jersey (MetLife Stadium), Orlando (Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium), Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field), Phoenix/Glendale (University of Phoenix Stadium) and Bay Area (Levi's Stadium).
MetLife Stadium will host the final on June 26.
The United States will be visiting Santa Clara, Calif. (June 3) to kick-off the tournament, before visiting Chicago (June 7) and Philadelphia (June 11).
Argentina will head to Santa Clara (June 6), Chicago (June 10) and Seattle (June 14).
Brazil will travel to Pasadena (June 4), Orlando (June 8) and Foxborough (June 12), and Mexico will play its group matches in Phoenix (June 5), Pasadena (June 9) and Houston (June 13).
