KC restaurant will close for World Cup. Could it be for Argentina’s soccer team?
Show Pony — the upscale restaurant attached to Origin Hotel — is closed to the public during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which includes six games in Kansas City.
The restaurant at 1001 Riverfront Drive is closed until July 19, according to its social media pages and website. The date is also when the World Cup final will be played, in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
Reached by phone Tuesday morning, the restaurant declined to comment.
Argentina is staying in the Origin and training at Sporting Kansas City’s Compass Minerals National Performance Center in Kansas City, Kansas. On Sunday, the team landed in KC and was transported via charter buses to the hotel, where about 50 fans were waiting.
Fans in blue-and-white jerseys waved towels and cheered as the players walked through the fenced area. Police escorted them inside the hotel.
If star player Lionel Messi and his teammates are indeed dining at Show Pony, they’ll choose from menu items like KC smoked wings, brisket mac and cheese, Cajun salmon, a 12-ounce KC strip steak and smoked meatloaf.
Breakfast includes French toast, pancakes and customizable omelets.
Argentina is defending its title after winning the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Argentina will battle Algeria in a group-stage match at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on June 16.
Meanwhile in Prairie Village, Verbena and The Market at Meadowbrook will also be closed for a “private event” from June 10 to July 19, according to their respective websites.
Patrick Quillec, owner of The Market and Verbena, confirmed that the event was directly related to the World Cup and that employees would continue to work normal hours during that time.
The Market serves slightly more casual fare and coffee, while Verbena offers seafood, steak, pasta and more.
Previously, The Star and several other outlets reported that England’s soccer team would stay at The Inn at Meadowbrook, a 54-room boutique hotel located within Meadowbrook Park.
Prairie Village will act as a home base for the team in between their travels to different games, according to British tabloid The Daily Mail.
In a letter addressed to the Meadowbrook Master Board and obtained by the Johnson County Post, the owners explain that a notable, unnamed organization would be staying on the premises and using the restaurant spaces.
“For the duration of the stay, The Inn (including The Market and Verbena) will be exclusively dedicated to the organization’s operations and will not be accessible to residents or the public,” the letter says.
“The group’s focus during their time here will be professional training and preparation, and we are working hard to ensure any disruption to the neighborhood’s day-to-day character is minimal.”
England will train at the Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City leading up to the game.
The Netherlands will stay in the Cascade Hotel by the Plaza, according to the Kansas City Business Journal, and the team will practice at the KC Current Training Center in Riverside.
Lawrence will be home base for Algeria, which will practice at the University of Kansas’ Rock Chalk Park.