FIFA World Cup

See how Kansas City is preparing to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Stories by Kansas City Star journalists, with AI summarization

Kansas City is intensifying efforts to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, leveraging significant public and private funding to upgrade infrastructure and meet the demands of a global audience. Projects include extensive transportation improvements, such as leasing hundreds of buses to close the metro's transit gaps, alongside pilot programs from surrounding municipalities proposing shuttle routes to accommodate unprecedented crowds. Lawmakers in both Kansas and Missouri have allocated millions to support the event, though funding disputes underscore differing regional priorities.

The event, expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, is spurring economic development, while also spotlighting strategic challenges in security, transit, and logistics management. As officials finalize investments and logistical plans, many hope these changes will leave a lasting legacy for the region beyond 2026.

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, second from left, and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly prepare to pose for photos after Thursday’s FIFA 2026 World Cup news conference at Arrowhead Stadium. By Emily Curiel

NO. 1: WORLD CUP GROUP, GOV. KELLY WANT KANSAS TO PROVIDE MILLIONS. LAWMAKERS ARE SKEPTICAL

“I wonder what the people of Kansas would say to me if we spent $30 million in Missouri?” House Speaker Dan Hawkins said in an interview. | Published January 12, 2024 | Read Full Story by Katie Bernard

Kansas City soccer fans packed the KC Live! venue at the Power & Light District last summer and learned that the city would be one of the host locations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

NO. 2: KANSAS TO PROVIDE $28 MILLION FOR THE WORLD CUP, UNDER BUDGET APPROVED BY LAWMAKERS

The Kansas Legislature voted to spread the funding over two years. Gov. Laura Kelly will decide whether to approve or veto the spending. | Published April 5, 2024 | Read Full Story by Jonathan Shorman

The KCTV tower as lit in 1997. By File

NO. 3: THIS TOWERING KC LANDMARK DESERVES TO SHINE AGAIN, ESPECIALLY WITH WORLD CUP ON THE WAY

A Kansas City icon used to “glow against the night for miles and miles around.” Can it ever light up again? | Published July 18, 2024 | Read Full Story by Vahe Gregorian

Here’s an aerial view of Rock Chalk Park in west Lawrence, which could play host to international soccer teams as a training site during World Cup 2026. By Tammy Ljungblad

NO. 4: LAWRENCE, KANSAS CHOSEN AS POTENTIAL BASE-CAMP LOCATION FOR 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP

Two Kansas City sites and one in Lawrence have been chosen as potential base-camp locations for teams during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. | Published June 12, 2024 | Read Full Story by Shreyas Laddha

Players from the East High School soccer team kick a ball around at the National WWI Museum and Memorial on Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024. The venue was announced as the location of the FIFA Fan Festival for the 2026 World Cup matches in Kansas City. By Dominick Williams

NO. 5: FIGURING OUT TRANSIT FOR WORLD CUP IN KC IS NO SMALL TASK. TAKE IT FROM THE GUY IN CHARGE

A company that had a key role planning for bus service at the World Cup in Qatar now has Kansas City as a client. | Published October 20, 2024 | Read Full Story by Mike Hendricks

Kansas City soccer fans packed the KC Live! venue at the Power & Light District last summer and learned that the city would be one of the host locations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

NO. 6: AS KANSAS CITY READIES FOR 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP, THERE’S A VITAL VARIABLE TO SUCCESS

How is Kansas City preparing to host World Cup games in 2026? And what’s the next step? | Published December 20, 2024 | Read Full Story by Vahe Gregorian

The celebration kicked into high gear when Kansas City was named one of the sites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Soccer at KC Live in the Power & Light District in 2022. By Rich Sugg

NO. 7: MISSOURI GOV. MIKE KEHOE WANTS $40M MORE FOR KANSAS CITY WORLD CUP EFFORT. IS IT ENOUGH?

The sprawling soccer tournament will test Kansas City like few events ever have. | Published January 29, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jonathan Shorman Kacen Bayless

Players from the East High School soccer team kick a ball around at the National WWI Museum and Memorial on Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024. The venue was announced as the location of the FIFA Fan Festival for the 2026 World Cup matches in Kansas City. By Dominick Williams

NO. 8: JOHNSON COUNTY PROPOSES AIRPORT TRANSIT FOR ‘COMPLETELY UNPRECEDENTED’ WORLD CUP CROWDS

With less than 500 days until the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Johnson County is exploring how to expand its transit system to help tackle one of the Kansas City metro’s biggest challenges that will come with the crowds next summer — including a potential bus service to the airport and a route from the county to the soccer festivities.“I’d be lying to you if I said that anybody truly understands what that volume of people is going to look like,” Johnson County Transit Director Josh Powers said during a recent committee meeting. | Published February 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Taylor O’Connor

This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.