Denver has been named one of 18 cities going forward as part of the United States’ bid to host the 2018 or 2022 men’s World Cup.
“This is big for Denver,” said Stuart Pattison, board chairman of the Metro Denver Sports Commission. “It puts us on the map with all of the big cities that were announced. We got the support of the community. It allows us to not just bid but it promotes the city as a vibrant sports town that has a community that can support a large event like the World Cup.”
U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati made the announcement Tuesday. Cities that did not make the list include Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit, St. Louis and Orlando, Fla.
Should the U.S. be awarded the soccer tournament in one of those years, games could be played in Denver at Invesco Field at Mile High.
The process could be a long one. The next step is for the U.S. to make an official bid to FIFA in May to host a World Cup. FIFA’s executive committee votes Dec. 2 in Zurich.
If the U.S. gets the World Cup, which is played every four years, the list of 18 cities will be pared to 12. That decision is made five years before the tournament.
This year’s World Cup is in South Africa and the 2014 event is in Brazil.
“A lot of work has gotten us to this point, but there’s still a lot to do now,” said Metro Denver Sports Commission president KieAnn Brownell. “The work begins. We need to win it for the U.S.”
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
