Mexico and Uruguay kick off their bids to become champions of the Copa America Centenario Sunday in Glendale and officials expect big crowds and heavy traffic around the event they say will be similar to the Fiesta Bowl.
University of Phoenix Stadium has room for about 63,000 people, and local organizers expect every seat will be full when the match starts at 5 p.m.
Those without tickets can still attend free events at neighboring Westgate. The Futbol Fiesta starts at 2 p.m. And the Mexican band, Los Cuates de Sinaloa, will perform after the game.
“We have a great fans here locally,” said Jeff Golner, Copa America’s venue director for Phoenix and Glendale. “And most importantly, we’re bringing a lot of fans up from across the border to join their faithful. So we’re definitely expecting a sellout.”
Tonight’s match, and the surrounding events, are the first of three that will be held in Glendale. Ecuador will play Peru on Wednesday. The tournament’s third place game will be June 25.
