Kansas City mayor is headed to Qatar ahead of 2026 World Cup. What to know
As planning for the 2026 World Cup in Kansas City continues, Mayor Quinton Lucas is packing his bags.
Lucas will travel to Doha, Qatar on Monday as one of five U.S. mayors to attend the Qatar Economic Forum, mayor’s office spokesperson Megan Strickland shared Thursday. The event, sponsored by Bloomberg, is currently in its fifth year and will draw more than 1,500 delegates.
The trip will take place from May 19 to May 21. Lucas will be accompanied by Jeff Lodermeier, a diplomat with the U.S. State Department who also works in and with Kansas City.
According to the mayor’s office, Lucas was recommended for the forum by the Qatari Embassy in Washington due to Kansas City’s status as an upcoming World Cup host city. While in Qatar, he will tour the 2022 World Cup facilities and discuss potential connections between Kansas City women’s sports teams and Qatari Olympic initiatives.
Lucas also plans to meet with the Qatari Ambassador to the United States, discuss potential Qatari investment opportunities in the Kansas City area and meet with Kansas and Missouri military personnel at Al Udeid Air Base, according to Strickland.
The trip will not be publicly funded by tax dollars, and is being paid for by the Qatari Embassy in Washington, Strickland said Thursday.
Several other American mayors have traveled to Qatar in recent years, either to attend the Economic Forum or to take private meetings, including the mayors of Dearborn, Michigan; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Atlanta; Fresno, California; and Montgomery, Alabama. Some mayors, including Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C., and Francis Suarez of Miami, have come under fire in recent years for expensive or undisclosed trips to Qatar.
This story was originally published May 15, 2025 at 12:36 PM.
