For the third consecutive summer, soccer fans will descend on Chapel Hill for an international friendly — this time between the men’s national teams of Mexico and Türkiye.
After the success of Chelsea vs. Wrexham in 2023 and then Manchester City vs. Celtic F.C. in 2024, the town and UNC are anticipating another economic boost to the area and thrilling soccer in Kenan Stadium. The teams are playing as part of the MEXTOUR around the United States, as Mexico’s players perform for their stateside fans. Tickets for the event are still available through the UNC Athletics’ ticketing website, as well as some tickets on secondary market sites.
What are the latest travel and parking recommendations people should keep in mind before the game kicks off at 8:30 p.m.? Here are details on some of the most important things to know ahead of El Tri and The Crescent-Stars facing off Tuesday night.
WHAT PUBLIC PARKING OPTIONS AVAILABLE?
As is the case with many events at Kenan Stadium, parking is going to be in high demand around UNC campus.
Public passes for all of the university’s decks are on sale for visitors and can be purchased through the Carolina Athletics website. Passes will not be sold on matchday, though, and purchased passes will not be valid on campus until 5:30 p.m. A list of UNC parking decks and lots can be found here, with both prepaid parking and reserved lots. Most spots are available for $50 per vehicle.
Parking is going to be available in downtown Chapel Hill as well, with all the town’s biggest parking decks and lots having spaces at a special event rate. A higher price for parking per hour starts at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, those lots requiring a flat $30 fee compared to $3 hourly parking in on-street spots. Payments must be done through the ParkMobile app the Town of Chapel Hill uses for its parking fees. The town’s available parking lots and decks can be found here.
One downtown Chapel Hill option will be going to a good cause. The parking spots at 151 East Rosemary Street will be managed by the local nonprofit Extraordinary Ventures, which helps create a neurodivergent workforce and jobs for such community members. Proceeds from the parking offered at $30 per spot will go to supporting adults with autism. The lot will open at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, with spaces available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Additionally, the Town of Carrboro’s public lots will be available — all of which are free, but have a two-hour time limit. A map of Carrboro’s municipal parking options can be found here. There are also park and ride options further away from Kenan Stadium, which you can learn more about below.
ARE THERE LOCAL PUBLIC TRANSIT OPTIONS?
While active in years past for the soccer friendlies at Kenan Stadium, the Tar Heel Express service by Chapel Hill Transit will not be active on Tuesday. But the fare-free transit system remains a useful way for travelers to reach UNC’s campus.
For those looking to avoid navigating the downtown or campus traffic themselves, the park and ride option for Chapel Hill Transit offers a way to get to the match. Lots off of Eubanks Road, NC Highway 54 and Southern Village can be a more affordable way to park (a $2 daily fee is required), and several routes will bring you to campus for a short walk to Kenan Stadium.
A full list of Chapel Hill Transit routes can be found on the town’s website, while a map of the downtown and UNC community can be viewed here.
WHAT IS THERE TO KNOW ABOUT THE TEAMS?
Tuesday will mark the first time Mexico and Türkiye’s national teams have ever met, in an exhibition or otherwise. The friendly will be an important step for both programs, as they ramp up play before critical qualifiers in the world’s soccer calendar.
Mexico is aiming to defend its 2023 victory of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, a bi-annual tournament held between the men’s national teams of countries in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The win added to the Mexican fútbol federation’s dominance in CONCACAF, as it holds the most continental titles (14) and a proud history of international success. Tuesday’s friendly is also, broadly, to help prepare the national team for the 2026 World Cup — which Mexico is co-hosting with the United States and automatically qualified for as a host.
Türkiye is preparing for the 2026 World Cup too, although their qualifier matches will take place later this year. The team is in the same UEFA qualifying group as Spain, Georgia and Bulgaria and will need to finish atop of the group after round-robin play between the teams to automatically qualify or finish in second to earn a spot in the UEFA play-off for remaining spots. If they qualify and return to North America next summer, it will mark just the fourth time Türkiye’s football federation has qualified for the World Cup.
In their last major tournament, the Turks made a strong impression. The team finished fifth overall in Euro 2024 — a Europe-specific tournament with a World Cup-style format — advancing from the group stage and beating Austria 2-1 in the Round of 16 before falling to the Dutch national team in the quarterfinals. Mexico, meanwhile, are trying to return to form in the biggest international competitions. While the national team won the Nations League title earlier this year against CONCACAF opponents, El Tri failed to advance out of the group stage of both the 2022 World Cup and 2024 Copa América.
The Chapel Hill match will also mark both national teams’ second friendly on their U.S. tours. Mexico is coming off Saturday’s match vs. Switzerland in Salt Lake City, Utah in which they lost 4-2— while Türkiye matched up with the U.S. men’s national team on Saturday in Connecticut and earned a 2-1 victory.
WHAT IS THERE TO DO AROUND TOWN?
There are several festivities around the game open to the public on campus and downtown. AT&T is sponsoring a Fútbol Fiesta around UNC’s Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower, which is steps away from Kenan Stadium. Described as an interactive fan zone, there will be food, drinks, music and giveaways beginning at 4 p.m. and running until game time.
The Mexico soccer fan club Pancho Villa’s Army is also hosting a family-friendly tailgate at The Porch of the Rosemary Parking Deck in downtown Chapel Hill. The party will run from 4 to 7 p.m. at 125 East Rosemary Street and will feature “special appearances,” according to the group.
Additionally, plenty of local businesses are preparing to welcome guests and fans ahead of the game. The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau compiled a list on its website for tourists to browse and find any suggestion options before or after the match.
WHAT CAN BE BROUGHT INTO KENAN STADIUM?
UNC enforces a clear bag policy for its sporting events at Kenan Stadium, requiring bags to be both certain sizes and/or transparent to allow for a security check. Those dimensions, as well as prohibited items from the stadium, can be found on the Carolina Athletics department website.
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