Jacksonville is celebrating a win for sports tourism.
The men’s U.S. soccer team will play Trinidad and Tobago at Everbank Field in September.
The game will be a World Cup qualifier, the sixth match of the fourth round.
President of the Jacksonville Jaguars Mark Lamping says events like these just don’t show up.
“If you can get the manager and the players saying, 'We love coming here and we think we have a home-field advantage,’ you’re going to get more games in the future — and that’s where all of us come in," he said. “As a community, we have to create that home field advantage.”
Lamping said when the Men’s U.S. National team scrimmaged in Jacksonville in 2014, it set a record for ticket sales.
More than 50,000 people attended said Mark Frisch, owner of the Jacksonville Armada FC.
Mayor Lenny Curry said sports can help raise the visibility of Jacksonville.
“When you see what’s happening with economic development; when you see what’s happening with sporting events; we are putting our footprint nationally and internationally,” he said.
Information about ticket sales for the September match should come out in the next few days.
