Who will play in Kansas City at the FIFA World Cup? See our draw coverage
Kansas City’s debut as a 2026 World Cup city is one step closer.
On Friday, FIFA divided the 48 participating nations’ soccer teams into groups ahead of next year’s international tournament.
Next, on Saturday, matchups for the 72 group-stage games — including four to be played at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (plus a Round of 32 match and quarterfinal later on) — will be announced.
The Star’s Pete Grathoff has details on what you should watch for the FIFA World Cup draw. And don’t forget to cast a vote in our poll about which teams you’d like to see play in Kansas City.
Follow our live updates
KC Star journalists have been following all the draw and schedule release updates. Follow along here.
How does the World Cup draw work?
FIFA separated the 48-nation field into 12 groups during the draw.
The teams were organized by pots, a system The Star’s Blair Kerkhoff likened to March Madness seeding. But instead of four No. 1 seeds, there were 12. And as many Nos. 2, 3 and 4 seeds. One of each went into every group.
The groups most of interest to Kansas City are:
Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria and Jordan
Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Cote d’Ivoire and Curacao
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, and a playoff in March among Ukraine, Poland, Albania and Sweden.
Read more about the possibilities for KC here — including the potential for Lionel Messi to return to Arrowhead Stadium.
When are Kansas City’s World Cup matches?
Kansas City will host six World Cup matches in 2026. They are:
- Tuesday, June 16 — Group J
- Saturday, June 20 — Group E
- Thursday, June 25 — Group F
- Saturday, June 27 — Group J
- Friday, July 3 — Round of 32 knockout stage
- Saturday, July 11 — Quarterfinal
The World Cup opens June 11 in Mexico City, and the final is July 19 in East Rutherford, N.J.
Why it matters that Kansas City is hosting the World Cup
This moment has been a long time coming. The Kansas City Sports Commission, Chiefs and Sporting KC began conversations a decade ago about crafting a bid to be a 2026 World Cup host city.
In 2022, it became official: Kansas City is one of 16 North American sites to host World Cup games next year. The event could bring 650,000 visitors here for six games — including a quarterfinal. So the World Cup in many ways looms larger in Kansas City than anywhere else.
Signs of its impending arrival — from an endeavor to activate empty storefronts to Fan Fest renderings to countdown clocks to calls for volunteers — have been gathering momentum for months.
The Star’s Vahe Gregorian unpacks what it all means now for KC, and what it could mean for the city’s future, in his column.
Who will be part of the draw broadcast?
President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum were in attendance at the ceremony, which will be hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum, actor/comedian Kevin Hart and actor/producer Danny Ramirez.
“To be hosting the final draw again, after having been involved in this show 20 years ago in my home country, is truly extraordinary,” said Klum, who is returning to the Final Draw, having previously taken part in the event ahead of the 2006 tournament in Germany. “The World Cup brings the world together like nothing else, and being part of that magic again, on an even bigger stage involving three host countries and 48 teams, is an incredible honor.”
Ramirez, a native of Mexico, said: “As someone who grew up playing football, getting to co-host the draw and meet and speak with World Cup legends at such a high-profile event is a dream. With this tournament coming to the United States, where I was born, and Mexico, where some of my roots lie, it is even more special – and I couldn’t be more excited to be part of this show.”
The draw was conducted by FIFA legend and former England captain Rio Ferdinand.
“To conduct this historic draw is an unbelievable honor,” said Ferdinand. “As a player, I lived for these global stages – now I’m humbled to play a different, special role together with an incredible line-up to reveal the 12 groups of four teams that the whole world is waiting for.”
In an effort to capture the attention of American sports fans, FIFA invited seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, four-time NBA champion and former Miami Heat star Shaquille O’Neal and seven-time MLB All-Star Aaron Judge to participate in the draw. NFL star Eli Manning will serve as a red carpet host.
Introducing the new U.S. Soccer mascot!
Among the many dignitaries showing up on the red carpet was a big, furry dog mascot revealed Friday morning by U.S. Soccer.
According to U.S. Soccer, the mascot is inspired by the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, “known for its bright and happy disposition, courage, willingness to work, and intelligence.”
The mascot will wear No. 27 to represent U.S. Soccer’s 27 national teams.
Information from Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald is included in this story.
This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 9:00 AM.