San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium has been awarded hosting rights for the final of the W Gold Cup, the new Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Football (Concacaf) flagship tournament for women's national teams.

New competition final at a new arena

The final of the inaugural W Gold Cup will take place at San Diego’s own Snapdragon Stadium on March 10, with the tournament starting on 17 February. The 12-team tournament feature eight teams from the Concacaf region and four representing the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol).

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Twelve teams are taking part in the W Gold Cup, including two teams that qualified for the Summer Olympics, six teams that qualified from the group and play-in phase and four guest national teams from other confederations. The United States, Costa Rica, Panama and Mexico from Concacaf have all qualified for the group stage. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Paraguay are the Non-Concacaf Invitees, who are participating in the competition.

The Canadian national team is also taking part in the tournament. Football is probably the most popular sport in the world, but there are other pastimes you can try without leaving home. One of these is a visit to an online casino. You can check out JackpotCity Casino Canada to find out about blackjack dealer guidelines, including some frequently asked questions and game rules.

In the W Gold Cup 12 teams are divided into three groups of four teams each and will compete in one round. Eight teams advance to the knock-out phase - the top two teams from each group and the two best third-place teams. The knockout phase consist of quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final, which will determine the champion.

Snapdragon Stadium, which opened just over a year ago, hosted the United States women's national team on October 29 in a friendly match in which the home team won 3-0 against Colombia. Victor Montagliani, Concacaf president and FIFA vice-president, said: "When we launched our women’s football strategy, we committed to developing the sport for women and girls at all levels. The Concacaf W Gold Cup is the pinnacle of the women’s game in our Confederation, and it will provide an opportunity to celebrate that progress and commit to doing even more in the future.”

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The opening of the stadium in 2022 has only completed the first phase of the new San Diego State University campus surrounding the former San Diego Stadium. Further facilities, such as academic and research and development centres, residential buildings, retail space and recreational areas, are expected to be built within 10-15 years and the total project, referred to as SDSU Mission Valley, is estimated to be worth $3.5 billion.

San Diego to have their own MLS team

In May, Major League Soccer (MLS) fulfilled a long-held ambition to put a team in San Diego, with the league's 30th franchise set to play at Snapdragon Stadium after striking a record $500 million MLS franchise acquisition deal. The San Diego team is expected to begin play at the 35,000-seat venue in 2025.

The arena is also home to the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) San Diego Wave team, which set an attendance record for a single game in the league with a sold-out crowd of more than 32,000 during the facility's opening month.