KC is a worthy World Cup host. The hype is real, but the work isn’t over. | Porter
Kansas City did that.
Leading up to the first ever FIFA World Cup 2026 match played in Kansas City, I was somewhat skeptical about our preparation as host city and took a wait-and-see approach to this massive global event.
After watching on television Argentina soccer star Lionel Messi put on a show at Kansas City Stadium, I can honestly say Kansas City should not take a back seat to any other host city in America during the tournament. I mean, how could any of us not get caught up in the hype after watching Messi notch what is commonly known in soccer parlance as a hat trick by scoring three goals?
As I watched this splendid performance unfold on a television set inside my living room, I could not help but think how this world renowned player had the entire region in a chokehold. That Messi scored three goals shouldn’t come as a surprise, though. After all, he tied the all-time record for goals scored during World Cup action.
What I loved most about Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria was the bona fide electric atmosphere that unfolded Tuesday in and around Kansas City. Couple Messi’s exploits with all the hoopla at the Fan Festival surrounding the game, the joyful and boisterous takeover of the KC Streetcar by fans of the Argentina national team, and the overall spirit soccer fans from here and all over the globe have brought to the region since World Cup festivities began June 11, it’s safe to say that Kansas City has done a good job so far as a host city.
Transportation headaches
But the work isn’t over. While the first of six games slated for our city was amazing to watch, the rollout was far from perfect. Traffic flow to the Kansas City Stadium (FIFA has renamed Arrowhead Stadium for the duration of the World Cup) was troublesome, and some of the buses taking fans to the game were delayed, according to The Star.
Although it took nearly two hours for one Kansas City Star reporter to board a shuttle to catch a bus to the stadium, and another reporter had to circle his car in the area for three hours trying to get into the parking lot, nearly 69,000 people packed the stadium before game time, according to Mayor Quinton Lucas.
“Any new set of fans adds a layer of difficulty, but here at kickoff it appears most made it into the venue,” Lucas told The Star on Tuesday.
Despite the traffic hiccups, it is my hope that organizers KC2026 take the lead of officials at the new Morton Amphitheater and correct the transportation issues before Saturday’s Game 2. In case you missed it, parking and traffic flow at the new concert venue in Riverside were unmitigated messes during its first concert June 3. By the next show, some of those concerns were alleviated, The Star reported.
I emailed KC2026 officials on Wednesday to get their take on the good and the bad of the World Cup here but hadn’t heard back before this column was published.
No World Cup arrests
On a brighter note, public safety during World Cup 2026 festivities has not been an issue, according to local law enforcement officials. Neither the Kansas City Police Department nor the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has reported any World Cup-related arrests between the day Fan Fest began and Tuesday’s opener at Kansas City Stadium.
For a city that spent $25 million on a temporary World Cup jail that isn’t even ready, the lack of arrests so far is an extremely important development that we should all keep our fingers crossed will continue to hold up over the next few weeks.
Until then, Kansas Citians should continue to bask in the glow of playing host for this global event.
