Electricity problems ruled out the inauguration of the new stadium in St. Louis on September 18. However, we already know that the opening will take place later this year during a friendly match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The arena is expected to make its debut in Major League Soccer in 2023.

After several unsuccessful attempts to create a soccer team in St. Louis, a new investor initiative was created in the fall of 2018, with a sizable financial backing and support from local officials. In August 2019, MLS authorities announced the granting of a license to the future St. Louis-based club starting from the 2023 season. The foundation of the team was to be a new, soccer-specific Centene Stadium which... has recently been renamed to CityPark.

© HOK Architects, Snow Kreilich Architects

After discussions with Centene, we have agreed to reshape the current partnership with them and the focus moving forward will be on developing community health and wellness programming throughout the region - said Carolyn Kindle, St. Louis City SC’s president. The club is now looking for a new title sponsor, but until a suitable candidate is found, the stadium will be called CityPark.

The construction of the facility has already been completed, but the newly established franchise is not yet allowed to play at its venue. In fact, we are talking about St. Louis City SC 2, because that is the name under which the club played in the MLS Next Pro, which is the back-up to the top soccer division in the United States. The team has been doing very well and has even reached the play-off final, which it lost to Columbus Crew reserves on October 8. Soccer fans can bet on their favorite team at bet365.

The final match of the regular season took place on September 18, when a "closed event" was scheduled for next year's passholders who had already purchased their season ticket for the upcoming campaign. St. Louis City FC will be making its Major League Soccer debut in just a few months, but the arena has still not been inaugurated.

© STL Aerials - Brad Henderson

The match against Sporting Kansas City II was eventually held at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville due to electrical problems at CityPark. So when will the opening of the new stadium in St Louis take place? We are currently working with our stadium construction and operation partners to assess the extent of the issue and better understand the timeline for when we’ll be able to restore full power to the entire stadium - said Joe Abernathy, club’s vice president of stadium operations, back in September.

1.5 months have passed and we already know that the first unofficial match at the new venue will be held on November 16, just before the start of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The American team will take on Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen. An international friendly with a (UEFA) Champions League-calibre club is the perfect way to introduce our new world-class stadium and district to our fans, the greater soccer community and the world - said Carolyn Kindle.

© St Louis CITY SC