England’s soccer team will be at Kauffman Stadium for Royals-Cardinals game
The World Cup matches in Kansas City will throw the Royals a couple of curveballs.
For starters, the Cardinals come to town for a three-game series that will be played over four days (June 18-21). There is a day off on Saturday, June 20, when a group-stage game between Ecuador and Curaçao will be played at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Royals will play a three-game series against the Phillies that will start on Saturday, July 4, and end on Monday, July 6. That’s because a Round-of-32 match is planned for July 3.
That series against the Cardinals will feature England’s national soccer team. The Royals said England’s team will be at Kauffman Stadium for the June 21 game.
“We would love to have them play catch,” said Sam Mellinger, the Royals’ vice president of communications and broadcasting, “but it just depends on their schedule.”
That game of catch would be before first pitch, of course. And the ceremonial first pitch likely would involve Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka or Jude Bellingham, three of England’s biggest stars.
Mellinger said the Royals hope the English team can get a sense of life in the United States while at The K.
“Mostly, the way we’re thinking about it is kind of the same way you’re thinking about hosting events,” Mellinger said. “You want to show people the best of Kansas City and give them something special, especially for whoever wants to come out. We’re thrilled to have them. But especially for people who are coming in from out of Kansas City, or even out of the country, you just want them to go through the day and feel like they saw Kansas City, like it felt like America, if you know what I mean.”
Mellinger said there are details to iron out, but there will be barbecue in England’s suite for the game. That’s a real taste of Kansas City right there.
The Royals hope fans in town for the World Cup will catch a game. Buses set up for the World Cup will include a stop at Kauffman Stadium when the Royals are playing.
International visitors at Kauffman Stadium are also a goal of KC2026, the non-profit working on Kansas City’s World Cup preparations.
“There’s nothing that makes me happier than thinking about the visibility that will bring for the Royals on the world stage,” Pam Kramer, CEO of KC2026, said this week, “to have some of the most famous people potentially at their games and seeing the experience, particularly around a series like the Cardinals, when we know there will be really excited fans out there and perhaps new fans for the Royals.”
This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 8:58 AM.
