Raleigh to Host Soccer World Cup Games?

According to the Soccer Insider at the Washington Post, Raleigh/Durham could host games at the 2018 or 2022 World cup. This could be one of the biggest sporting events to ever come to the area. I’m thinking Carter Finley.

As you will hear on next week’s New Raleigh Chatter podcast, I have a bit of an affinity for soccer and my dreams in life include seeing a World Cup soccer match. I’ve seen Arsenal play in their stadium which is a similar experience, but there can be nothing like seeing a World Cup game live. Didn’t make it in ‘94 but almost flew to Germany a couple of years ago to see a game in the Herzog and de Meuron designed Allianz Arena. That didn’t work out either. Alas, this may be the chance of a lifetime. Come on Raleigh!

Representatives from the Las Vegas, Nev. and the Raleigh-Durham markets, as well as Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah – none of them included in the original list of 70 venue and market candidates – have requested to be considered as hosts in 2018 or 2022. Twelve stadiums declined to be considered as potential candidates while conversations continue with representatives of two stadiums as local officials there explore various venue feasibility issues before confirming their interest.

“We will soon begin contacting all venue and metro market representatives on a one-on-one basis to ensure that their candidacy is in accordance with FIFA criteria,” USA bid committee executive director David Downs said.

revolu04/24 04:05 PM

that would be phenomenal

Matt04/24 04:08 PM

Would be phenomenal. I think we’d probably get a first-round, lower-tier game. Think Costa-Rica/Croatia or something like that. Not that I’d mind. It would rock.

Brian04/24 05:10 PM

At least as of this upcoming football season, C-F will be the only local stadium with the required capacity and the uncrested field preferred for FIFA events.

B04/24 06:35 PM

Maybe SAS is planning to build a couple of giant world cup quality fields.

paperclip04/24 07:23 PM

Who’s Playin?

devin04/24 07:51 PM

they ought to just put sod in the RBC center. that’d be hilarious! c-f is probably a better idea, tho haha

Sam04/24 09:48 PM

This would be awesome if it works out.

I don’t think that Raleigh currently has (or would be able to develop in advance) adequate infrastructure to host such an event, though. It’s one thing to have (American) football games at Carter-Finley every other weekend in the autumn. However, it’s entirely another to host a city full of both domestic and international visitors, most of whom would be without personal transportation while staying in hotels in the area.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see it happen!

andrew fipps04/24 10:56 PM

I recently saw the world cup qualifier between trinidad and tobago and the usa in nashville, and i have to say, though it was just a qualifier and trinidad is not a premier team, that raleigh has the infra structure needed.It was a record showing and still not near capacity. maybe a fifth. It was a great game and great experience. USA 3 nil. By the way jed, i like the site and good seein ya.

corey3rd04/26 09:40 PM

This issue came up when the USA previously hosted the World Cup. Carter-Finley couldn’t host it because there’s not enough space on the field. The only stadium that can handle it was Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium. But the place at the time was considered a security nightmare. Don’t think Duke wants to have international hooligans roaming the campus.

Jake04/27 07:12 PM

The World Cup Soccor tournament would be awsome if it came to Raleigh..Heck NC! I do think it needs to be somewhere where the venue is large snd good infrastructure is set in place. With that said, If Charlotte comes anywhere in the picture we might as well forget about it. Especially since they have the carolina panthers stadium a much more fitting venue they will more likely be appealing than carter finley imho.

ChiefJoJo04/27 11:07 PM

I agree with Sam & Jake. I’d love to see it, but I believe part of a venue package will need to include a viable mass transit network and plenty of hotel spaces, and I don’t think even by 2018 we’ll have either. With Charlotte having a bigger stadium, downtown location (near mass transit), and the corporate backing, I think they’d come out ahead. We do have a decent futbol following here, which is one of our advantages.

sally04/28 09:15 AM

On the contrary. I saw a game in Bordeaux, France, in 1998. There was no mass transit - and there were very few hotels (certainly no Marriott or Sheraton). But there was a fan festival in the town centre - and there were busses to the stadium for those with tickets to the game. (We rented a car and a house.)

lilpistolstarta04/28 10:18 AM

This would definitely be awesome for the area, especially with how large youth soccer is in the Triangle. However, I just don’t see it happening without mass transit as others have pointed out. I went to the 06 World Cup in Germany and the 08 Euro Championships in Austria/Switzerland and transit is key. Even the smaller cities we went to had above ground mass transit…like Innsbruck, Austria. I’ve also been to a few US friendlies and qualifiers and again transit was key.

Mike Schmitz04/29 04:42 PM

I applaud you who desire to see a WC match. However, I do not see Raleigh as being 1 bit prepared to accomodate the masses. These are not just high dollar persons in hotels. They come in droves; from all walks of life, and all levels of income. Extremely multi-national. And very accomadated to some form of great public transportation other than the Wolfline or CAT. Carter Finley at 60K capacity does not even begin to do justice for the fans of World Cup level matches. I attended a WC match in Dusseldorf . We were 2 of 85K in attendance.
If I have missed a venue in Raleigh that can hold more near that number, have parking, a place for camping. A place for hosting the World Cup Pavilion and all of its festivities is also needed.

My long winded answer is for my tax $ that would need to be paid to host it. I’d rather visit another Great city other than Raleigh and enjoy the elite field of teams competing.

Bless your heart Raleigh - your not ready.

Mike Schmitz04/29 05:01 PM

correction. The city was Dortmund. And capacity is near 81K.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borussia_Dortmund

corey3rd04/29 05:06 PM

Now don’t go ragging on Carter-Finley for its seat size not being up to World Cup standards. Have you looked at the stadiums hosting 2010 in South Africa? 7 of the 10 arenas are 60,000 or less. Three of them are only 40,000. Capacity is not an issue. The amount of field at the bottom of the seats is an issue.

Mike Schmitz04/29 05:19 PM

Nice. 9 stadiums there to handle at least 50K. What are Raeigh/ NC’s other 8 stadiums. They could be in VA or SC too. Lets just have the WC up and down the I95 corridor. Polokwane to Cape Town is 1500Km or 932 miles. What other 8 staiums are within 932 miles. CF has the capacity it seems, but I still feel Raleigh does not.

corey3rd04/29 05:23 PM

Mike - back off the crack pipe. Did anyone say that NC was hosting every game?

You’re rant about our stadium not being big enough seating wise to ever dream of hosting a World Cup was bogus. Admit it. And move on.

corey3rd04/29 05:29 PM

for anyone curious - the stadium sizes for the 2010 World Cup can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup

lilpistolstarta04/29 06:13 PM

The 2 games I went to in Germany for World Cup 06, were in Hamburg and Kaiserslautern. Both of those stadiums seat less than Carter-Finley does. Its more about moving the people to/from the game…only if we had a stadium in downtown Raleigh!

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Jedidiah Friday, April 24, 2009