U.S. Soccer will be bringing the One Nation social responsibility platform presented by Allstate, to Nashville ahead of the the U.S. Men’s National Team’s World Cup qualifying match vs. Canada on Sept. 5. The community engagement initiatives are designed to drive positive impact around Nashville in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

U.S. Soccer will partner with the Tennessee State Soccer Association (TSSA) and White House Soccer Club to run a free Coach for Community event at the W.L. Anderson Soccer Complex in White House, Tennessee on Sept. 4. U.S. Soccer has introduced the Coach for Community program to serve as an introduction to teaching the game, and to improve sporting experiences within communities, particularly underserved areas. Coach for Community participants will learn about creating a positive, fun and player-centered environment using U.S. Soccer’s Play-Practice-Play methodology.

Together with Nashville Soccer Club, U.S. Soccer will also host the One Nation Community Youth Program at Pearl Cohn High School on Sept. 2. Designed to inspire local young adults to go for their goals regardless of their background, the program aims to broaden their career horizons and build their professional skills. The Community Youth Program will include a sports career panel to increase awareness around career opportunities and small-group sessions to enhance life skills, such as goal setting, networking, collaboration, conflict resolution and resilience skills.

U.S. Soccer will recognize National Soccer Hall of Famer Desmond Armstrong as its One Nation Game Ambassador in Nashville. Game Ambassadors are selected for their impact in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Armstrong made 81 appearances for the USMNT and was one of the first U.S.-born Black players to play in the World Cup. Now, Armstrong serves as director for East Nash Soccer and founded the Heroes Futbol Association travel team in 2004.

U.S. Soccer is bringing the Concacaf Gold Cup and Nations League trophies to Nashville on Wednesday, Aug. 18, giving fans the opportunity to see the trophies in person and take photos. Brian McBride, General Manager of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team, will be traveling with the trophies.  

Nashville is hosting USA-Canada in a World Cup Qualifying match on Sept. 5 at Nissan Stadium with tickets available now. The U.S. team beat archrival Mexico twice this summer in championship matches–first on June 6 in the Concacaf Nations League final and then again on Aug. 1 in the Gold Cup final. This will be U.S. soccer’s first home match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying campaign and serves as a preview with Nashville in contention to serve as a host city for the 2026 World Cup.

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Ben Rector will headline a free concert with country recording artist Lindsay Ell outside Nissan Stadium to kick off festivities on Sept. 5. The event will include music, games, food and more.

Singer-songwriter Ben Rector will headline a free concert outside Nissan Stadium prior to the World Cup Qualifying match between the USA and Canada on Sept. 5. Country artist Lindsay Ell will open the show at 4:15 p.m. with Rector taking the stage at 5:15 p.m. prior to the 7 p.m. match. Additionally, Nashville country trio Runaway June will perform the national anthem. The concert is free and open to the public, including those without game tickets.

This will be U.S. Soccer’s first home match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying campaign and serves as a preview with Nashville in contention to serve as a host city for the 2026 World Cup. The U.S. team has had some recent significant wins, beating rival Mexico on Aug. 1 in the Gold Cup, after defeating them on June 6 in the Concacaf National League final, resulting in two trophies for the U.S. Men’s National Team.

Ell, who is Canadian, represented Nashville Soccer Club as part of the league’s 25th Season Celebration and helped them unveil their MLS away jersey, called the Nashville Vibe.

“We see this as a dress rehearsal to World Cup 2026, and having live music is essential to showing FIFA how we stand out from other destinations,” says Butch Spyridon, president and CEO, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “With Nashville’s deep base of talent, we thought it would be fitting and fun to add a native Canadian with our Nashville headliner to add to the spirit of the game.”

The concert will take place on the South Plaza between Gates 8 and 9 at Nissan Stadium. Gates will open at 3 p.m. alongside U.S. Soccer’s official FanHQ event, a pregame fan activation created to extend the fan experience beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch. The event will include music, games, food and more.

“Hosting a World Cup Qualifier is more than just a match; it’s an event,” says U.S. Soccer Chief Communications Officer Neil Buethe. “We are thrilled to be offering fans a memorable experience beyond the field and to be showcasing the best a market can offer. What better way to do that in Music City than a free concert to build energy toward the game?”

Currently home to Nashville SC, the city has developed a rich history of supporting the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team and drawing impressive crowds. The USA began its march to the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup title by playing to a 1-1 draw with Panama in front of 47,622 fans – then a record attendance mark for soccer in the state of Tennessee.

A year later, more than 40,000 fans witnessed a U.S. 1-0 shutout victory against regional rivals Mexico. Most recently, the U.S. team overcame Jamaica 3-1 in the semifinal of the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup. Overall, the USA has amassed a 4-2-1 record in Nashville.

Nashville SC’s Walker Zimmerman has been named to the 2021 MLS All-Star team. This will be his second overall appearance and his first as a Nashville SC player. The 28-year-old has anchored Nashville SC’s defense to become one of the most successful backlines for an expansion side in league history.

So far this season, Zimmerman has earned five shutouts in 10 appearances as the club has improved its goals-against average from 0.96 in 2020 to 0.94 in 2021. In the club’s inaugural MLS campaign, Zimmerman’s performance, both in defense and offensively with three goals, including the club’s first ever goal in MLS history, earned him the 2020 MLS Defender of the Year and MLS Best XI honors as well as the club’s Most Valuable Player.

As an active member of the U.S. Men’s National Team, Zimmerman was recently called up to participate in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup. While there, he wore the captain’s armband for the first time in his international career as the team took a 6-1 victory over Martinique.

The All-Star roster was determined through a combination of fan, player and media voting, designations by All-Star Head Coach Bob Bradley, and a pair of selections by MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

The Nashville center back will join the best of MLS under Bradley’s leadership as they face the best of LIGA MX on Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. CT on FS1 and Univision.

Here’s the full 2021 MLS roster: