COLUMBUS, Ohio — As the U.S. Men’s National Team hopes to return to the 2022 World Cup after failing to qualify for the 2018 tournament, the team announced Wednesday it is returning to its spiritual home. 

What You Need To Know

  • The U.S. Men’s National Team is returning to Columbus Jan. 27

  • The match will be a World Cup Qualifier

  • The U.S. Men’s National Team is 8-1-2 in World Cup Qualifiers in Columbus

  • Tickets will be sold via a weighted lottery

 

The USMNT will take on El Salvador on Jan. 27 at Columbus’ Lower.com Field. The USMNT previously defeated Costa Rica at Lower.com Field on Oct. 13 by a 2-1 margin. Ohio also played host to a United States National Team match in Cincinnati on Nov. 12. 

“We are excited to once again welcome the U.S. Men’s National Team back to Columbus for a crucial World Cup Qualifying match,” said Columbus Crew President and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “As demonstrated this past October, Columbus has time and time again, proven the ability to create an electric atmosphere, providing the United States with a significant home-field advantage. We’re grateful for the opportunity to host U.S. Soccer and again showcase the world-class facilities in Columbus.”

The match will mark Columbus’ 12th time hosting a World Cup Qualifier. The U.S. is 8-1-2 when Columbus hosts a qualifier. 

“As we have seen throughout the qualifying process so far, great stadiums and great atmospheres provide a huge advantage to our team,” USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter said. “We’ve had fantastic experiences in Columbus and the Twin Cities and look forward to continuing our World Cup Qualifying campaign in front of our fans.”

Berhalter previously coached the Columbus Crew. The USMNT could also feature Crew forward Gyasi Zardes and former Columbus goalkeeper Zack Steffen. 

U.S. Soccer said that a weighted lottery will be held to determine ticket allocations. Information on the ticket allocation process is available here.

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