FOXBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - The Centennial Copa America sweeps into Gillette Stadium this weekend with games Friday and Sunday night.
Chile faces off against Bolivia Friday, and international powerhouse Brazil takes on Peru on Sunday night.
16 teams are playing in the tournament at stadiums across the United States.
More Coverage: Copa America scoring leaders
The U.S. Men’s Soccer team will face Paraguay in Philadelphia Saturday night at 7 p.m.
Audiences for international soccer have been steadily — and sometimes rapidly — swelling in the U.S. in recent years, punctuated by massive numbers for the men’s and women’s World Cups the last two summers. This Soccer Summer is an opportunity for networks heavily invested in the sport to keep the momentum going, along with a test of how many Americans will watch events that aren’t World Cups.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez (Copa America) and Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Euro 2016) are all set to play, not to mention 28 of the top 30 teams in the current FIFA rankings.
And at No. 31 is the U.S., which is both hosting and playing in this special Copa America commemorating the 100th anniversary of South America’s championship. Nations from North and Central America and the Caribbean join South American powers in essentially a made-for-TV event.
Ticket broker Stubhub is tracking demand for the Gillette Stadium cup games. Average prices for the Chile vs. Bolivia game are $51, and $125 for the Peru vs. Brazil game. The quarterfinals will be played June 18 and the average ticket price for that game is $133.
Where Fans are coming from:
State
- MA 36%
- NY 15%
- CT 10%
- NJ 9%
- RI 4 %
City
- Boston
- New York
- Malden
- Cambridge
- Revere
Source: Stubhub
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