Cincy Misses Out on World Cup Matches After a multi-year effort by Cincinnati leaders to secure a 2026 FIFA World Cup game, FIFA broke the bad news in June: the Queen City would not be getting its crown. FIFA, which oversees world soccer, announced its 16 World Cup host cities on June 16, and Cincinnati was not selected. The Queen City launched its bid to host 2026 World Cup matches back in 2017. Cincinnati officials who led the World Cup effort insisted that the city will continue to be in contention for other major events. "Even though this bid may not have been successful, I feel the process has set us up for future successful bids that will enhance our city and raise our international profile," Jeff Berding, co-CEO of FC Cincinnati and the local World Cup bid committee, said after the decision. "We showed that the new Cincinnati is an ambitious city that competes for world class events, so this isn’t the end of this process - it’s just the beginning of more to come. So stay tuned, and don’t sleep on Cincinnati." Read CityBeat's story about how local fans reacted to the news. Photo: Peter Glaser, Unsplash

Catch the soccer action during a watch party downtown. Photo: Peter Glaser, Unsplash

The USA vs. Mexico soccer match at TQL Stadium — the hottest ticket in Cincinnati — may be sold out, but you can still experience the thrills.

There will be a watch party for this week’s hotly anticipated 2022 World Cup qualifier Friday night at the Banks in downtown. The party starts at 7 p.m. Nov. 12 and will include music from DJ Prymtime, opportunities from the U.S. Army and TQL. Fans can get freebies and register to win a jersey signed by former USMNT player Geoff Cameron at the FC Cincinnati table. Food and drinks at 18 Banks establishments will be available to purchase and enjoy throughout the DORA.

The match between the U.S. Men’s National Team and Mexico will kick off at 9:10 p.m. Friday at TQL Stadium. It will be broadcast on the big screen hanging from the Cincinnati Reds’ Hall of Fame Museum, a release says. The USA currently is in second place in the FIFA standings.

As of last week, the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium is sold out. The qualifying match was announced at the end of July, when Carl Lindner III, the majority owner of FC Cincinnati, said the USA/Mexico match would be “one of the most significant soccer matches in the world.”

USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter recently announced the expanded roster that will be in Cincinnati for the World Cup qualifier 

In October, Cincinnati welcomed FIFA and U.S. Soccer as officials toured Paul Brown Stadium, soccer training facilities and Fan Fest locations. Cincinnati is one of 17 U.S. cities vying to host a 2026 World Cup match. Officials expect that 10-11 cities will be chosen in early 2022.

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This article appears in Nov 10-23, 2021.