While American football may reign supreme as the sport of choice for viewers in the U.S., the original football is rising through the ranks.
Soccer is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. In 2026, the FIFA World Cup—one of the most-watched sporting events in the world—is bringing its mega event to the U.S., Canada and Mexico—with 11 venues in the U.S. set to host games and a to-be-determined at publication time U.S. city hosting the final.
Major League Soccer (MLS) continues to expand, too. Lionel Messi—widely considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time—brought his talents to Inter Miami FC this year on the heels of his 2022 FIFA World Cup win with Argentina. As games increasingly sell out, driven by interest from younger demographics, more soccer-specific stadiums are being built across the country.
For event planners, this means more high-tech venues for wow-worthy private events, plus exciting teambuilding and networking opportunities. Following are three recently opened soccer stadiums in major metro areas, plus all of their event hosting capabilities. See you on the pitch!
CITYPARK, St. Louis
Sitting across from the iconic Union Station in St. Louis’ Downtown West neighborhood, CITYPARK hosted its first match this past spring for home team St. Louis City FC. Being so centrally located, near hotels, the soon-to-be-completed expanded America’s Center Convention Complex and packed with craft food experiences representative of the Gateway to the West, CITYPARK is both an immensely fun and convenient offsite group venue for a game or a private event.
The venue hosts roughly 17-20 games per season, plus three exhibition games each year, but the open-air venue may also be used for other sporting events, corporate gatherings, food festivals, parties and other social events. Some notable spaces include:
- Ultra Club: The largest indoor space at CITYPARK, with floor-to-ceiling windows, can host up to 800-plus for a cocktail-style event or 400 for banquets.
- Lou Fusz Plaza: This space in the front of the stadium is perfect for outdoor festivals and gatherings.
- Hellcat: Rent out the Hellcat pub for up to 100, which features both indoor and outdoor space.
- CITY View Terraces: Both North and South terraces offer great views of the city skyline. The open-air spaces can accommodate up to 100 for cocktail-style events or 70 for banquets, among other configurations.
Additionally, suites are available at CITYPARK for your VIP attendees with sweeping views of the pitch and city skyline, plus a handful of other club spaces.
Tour guides can take 15-20 guests for a 30-45-minute tour of the stadium. Planners can book multiple tour guides or stagger tours throughout their event to accommodate larger guest counts. Another popular add-on, according to CITYPARK’s events team, is bringing guests out to the turf warning track, which sits on pitch level, and allows guests to sit in the team bench area and take pitch-side photos.
Allianz Field, St. Paul, Minnesota
With its design emulating the rippling 10,000-plus lakes of Minnesota, Allianz Field, home of Minnesota United FC, was an exciting addition to the Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area in 2019. Located right on the Twin Cities’ light rail line, providing easy public transit access from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, bringing your groups to bond over cheering for the Loons is a thrilling offsite activity.
Allianz Field offers groups a pre-game meeting opportunity that is exclusive to Party Suite holders only. This includes access to the suite two hours before gates open, a TV monitor, HDMI connection, custom set-up and a private tour.
Each of the three Party Suites at Allianz Field can accommodate up to 50 people. On non-game days, groups attending an event at Allianz Field can participate in a 20-minute behind-the-scenes tour to areas like the press conference room, home locker room, player tunnel and mid-field tunnel and learn more about the stadium, club and team. Each tour is capped at 40 people, with multiple tours possible.
Beyond the pitch, Allianz Field is a private events powerhouse and can offer groups a host of experiences. Director of Special Events Sophia Landry notes that the venue has outside vendor recommendations for interactive experiences like DJs, live bands, impersonators, casinos, photo booths, red carpet events, giant games or custom t-shirt screening.
The catering staff can organize fun food activations like chef stations, signature cocktails or themed food.
Some of the event spaces include:
- Stadium Club: Fun light fixtures, full views of the pitch and two full-service bars make the Stadium Club a popular choice for events for up to 400.
- BMW Field Club: Inspired by the terrain of Minnesota, this unique room for up to 125 is located at field level and is a fun option to pair with a walk through the tunnel and out onto the field.
- Roof Deck: For open-air events for up to 150, the Roof Deck offers fresh air and bird’s-eye views of the pitch.
- Casino Brew Hall: Located below the Roof Deck, the Casino Brew Hall can accommodate up to 150 and features a 60-foot bar with 96 beers on tap, plus oak tables, retractable glass doors and nice views of the pitch.
Groups can also take over the 65,000-square-foot concourse for tradeshows and fairs, or even the pitch itself.
[Related: Major Sporting Events and Infrastructure Improvements Boost Kansas City’s Meetings Scene]
Geodis Park, Nashville
With 30,000 seats, Nashville’s new Geodis Park is now the largest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. and Canada. Nestled in the city’s Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood just south of downtown, the stadium opened in 2022, playing host to MLS club, Nashville SC.
Geodis Park is no stranger to private events and can host groups ranging from 10-10,000 for company meetings, cocktail receptions, tradeshows, nonprofit galas, holiday parties and weddings. Groups of 10 or more can book private stadium tours as well.
Some highlights of the events spaces include:
- Captain’s Club: Host an event with views of the Music City skyline and the pitch during an event at this third-floor club. The space also features information about historic team captains from around the world.
- WeHo Club: What would a Nashville venue be without a music room? This club space features a built-in stage and sound system and Nashville music memorabilia.
- Goal Post Club: Described as “the most luxurious sports bar-themed space” at Geodis Park, this club area celebrates Nashville sports.
- The Premier Club: True to its name, this space is perfect for high-end events and VIP guests with a 50-foot bar, great views of the pitch and premium furnishings.
The concourses, North Plaza, Transcard Terrace and various suites are also available for private events.
[Related: Must-Know Sports Venue Event Tips From Seasoned Planners]
Football Stadiums Hosting Major Soccer Events
While MLS stadiums are rising around the country, the U.S. still doesn’t have the infrastructure to dedicate a soccer stadium to every team in the league, or big-name games visiting the country from across the pond, like Premier League teams, for example. That’s where American football stadiums come in.
Some of the newest and most advanced football stadiums in the country are fitting their fields for the original game of football.
This summer, some of the globe’s most famous soccer giants—including Arsenal, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan and Manchester United—faced off in major U.S. markets as part of the Soccer Champions Tour. Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Orlando and San Francisco all played host to the game’s biggest stars. Soccer Champions Tour was created by a newly formed company, global investment firm Sixth Street, to support the continued global growth of top-tier sports franchises by organizing high-profile, competitive events for the millions of fans that live outside the domestic markets of the biggest clubs.
During the Soccer Champions Tour, roughly 70,000 fans gathered for a rematch of the 2006 European final between FC Barcelona and Arsenal at SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Chargers and the Super Bowl LVI Champion Los Angeles Rams. The high-tech stadium—which will also host the 2028 Summer Olympics—was the site of the sold-out Gold Cup final, selling 72, 963 tickets, making it the most popular soccer event to date at SoFi.
Other notable matchups during the Soccer Champions Tour included Spanish giants Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, who met in Texas for the first time ever at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys; and AC Milan and FC Barcelona, who faced off at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, home of the Las Vegas Raiders.
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