By admin 
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WJZY) — Charlotte sports leaders have their eyes on the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Bank of America Stadium is in the running to host the soccer tournament.
The Charlotte Sports Foundation says the city has proven it can attract an audience. 57,000 people attended the send-off game at Bank of America, making it one of the biggest soccer matches in Charlotte’s history.
“There’s a demand for more, both from the people attending, but also U.S. Soccer watches that,” said Miller Yoho with the Charlotte Sports Foundation. “They see it, so they certainly notice Charlotte, and they know that this is the destination.”
Charlotte is on the map as a soccer city. A successful weekend hosting the U.S. Men’s National Team tune-up game proves the area is ready for more international games.
“When we go fill out these documents, it’s very clear that we have a case to host the Women’s World Cup,” said Yoho.
Yoho said U.S. and state officials are in the early stages of getting a bid to host, but there’s already a lot of excitement surrounding the idea, even from Governor Josh Stein.
“Charlotte delivers in every which way,” he said. “Could not be more excited to let the world see how well this city shines.”
As far as what we’d need to host, Yoho thinks we’re pretty much set.
“There’s always more demand for hotels, for other things, but Charlotte has shown the president’s cup, the NBA all-star game, other events that it does well,” he said. “The international audiences love it here. They love coming here and experiencing it. So we think everything we need is already here.”
David Tepper has also expressed his interest in hosting the Women’s World Cup in 2031. It’s unclear exactly when a decision will be made, but Charlotte leaders would know years in advance to prepare for any games that might be played in the city.
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