Stadium to host Gold Cup prelims

Inter Miami CF will once again host international soccer competition over the summer.

CONCACAF — FIFA’s governing body for North America, Central America, the Caribbean and part of South America — announced Thursday that Inter Miami’s stadium in Fort Lauderdale will host the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup preliminary round in July.

The Prelims are the official start to the Gold Cup tournament, which will take place in July and August.

It’ll mark the second time Inter Miami’s stadium has hosted international competition since opening its doors last year, with the venue hosting the U.S. men’s national soccer team’s friendly against El Salvador in December.

“We look forward to hosting the Gold Cup Prelims tournament in our stadium,” Inter Miami managing owner

Jorge Mas said in a statement. “Our facilities in Fort Lauderdale were built with the intent of giving our fans opportunities to enjoy the world’s game, knowing that our vibrant culture and sports-centric region would be attractive for global teams and competitions.

“This is just the beginning of the great things that lie ahead.”

Twelve teams will participate in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Prelims and will compete for the final three spots in the 16-team Gold Cup group stage.

The six first-round matchups that will take place July 2 and July 3:

The Gold Cup group stage will kick off on July 10 and run through Aug. 1. Qatar was invited to the tournament as the current champion and representative of the Asian Football Confederation.

Additional details regarding the Prelims, including ticket sales information, will be announced in the “coming weeks.”