Kansas City got the World Cup: What we know so far about what it means, what to expect
READ MORE
Kansas City will host games in 2026 World Cup
Kansas City made an aggressive bid to be one of the U.S. host cities for the enormous international event put on by FIFA. Arrowhead will host the games, and it will be a massive economic boost.
Expand All
Kansas City wants the World Cup in 2026. On Thursday, the city found out it’s getting it.
FIFA released the list of cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada that will host World Cup matches, and the City of Fountains made the final cut.
The FIFA World Cup is a tournament hosted every four years in a different country. It brings together countries’ national teams — which have the best soccer players each country has to offer — to compete.
With Kansas City making the list of host cities, you can expect a big party throughout the month of the tournament. Thousands of people will be flying in to watch games and have a good time.
There were 22 cities in the running across the three North American countries with dreams of hosting at least one game, and only 16 saw those dreams come true.
FIFA officials were impressed when they visited Kansas City in October. The city built a strong enough case to stand out among Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York/New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco,, Seattle, and Canadian cities Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto and Mexican cities Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey.
With 80 games set to be played by an expanded 48 teams in 2026, all eyes will soon turn toward KC. Here’s what you can expect when the World Cup arrives.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WE TALKING?
The simple answer: the entire world.
The 2018 World Cup in Russia pulled around 3.6 billion viewers during the month-long tournament. The championship game that saw France defeat Croatia 4-2 had an estimated worldwide audience of 517 million.
The Chiefs’ Super Bowl appearances during the 2019 and 2020 seasons only pulled in 100 million viewers in the U.S., with another 30-40 million tuning in overseas.
WHERE WILL THE GAMES BE PLAYED?
Games in Kansas City will be played at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The home of the Chiefs has a capacity of 76,416, but that will change to fit FIFA standards.
Teams could practice at Compass Minerals National Performance Center, which is where Sporting KC practices. They could also use Children’s Mercy Park as a practice facility.
WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE WITH ARROWHEAD BY THEN?
A lot.
Seats would need to be removed from the corners of the lower level of the stadium to fit with FIFA field regulations. Space would also have to be made for hospitality and media seating.
Arrowhead’s grass would require a special ventilation system that would ensure the playing field is the same as the other World Cup stadiums.
Check out renderings of what the stadium could look like here.
WHAT DOES THE CITY GET?
It serves as a massive payoff to the region’s commitment to growing the soccer culture here, and it’ll showcase how great Kansas City is. A lot of eyes will be on what some may write off as a smaller market city in the middle of the country.
The World Cup really puts KC in the international spotlight. As one of the smallest metropolitan areas to submit a bid, Kansas City can be proud to have beat out some of the cities on the list.
The tournament also brings with it potentially a ton of money. It’s an estimated economic impact of $160 million to $620 million, according to one study.
Tons of local businesses will benefit from the influx of travelers coming to see their home country play a game. Kansas City’s one of the few cities in the middle of the U.S., so it also attracts the Midwest crowd.
There will be a lot of people experiencing Kansas City barbecue for the first time in their lives. Be sure to point them in the right direction.
WHERE WOULD THE WATCH PARTIES BE?
Just about everywhere in the city. The KC Live! Block in the Power & Light District will most likely serve as the main hub for a watch party, as it’s done so for the Men’s World Cup in 2014 and 2018, and the Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019.
Fan festivals could pop up at Union Station and the Liberty Memorial. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and that large lawn stretching to Theis Park could get in on the action, too. The possibilities are endless.
This isn’t two-straight World Series appearances, four-straight AFC Championship games or a freezing MLS Cup final. As fun as those experiences are and how the city united to watch the Royals, Chiefs and Sporting KC fight for the championship, the World Cup is a whole different beast. The world is literally watching.
Get ready, Kansas City.
This story was originally published June 16, 2022 at 4:32 PM.
