Kansas City will be speaking their language as multitudes arrive for World Cup
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas City will have more international visitors for the World Cup than ever before.
- The ConnectKC26 Region Connect bus runs June 11–July 13 with $5, $25, and $50 passes.
- Stadium Direct will operate on game days for $15 per rider and requires a match ticket.
Kansas City will never have had as many international visitors for an event than for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, beginning this month and running into July.
As many as 11 different nations could be play in the six games scheduled for Kansas City (Arrowhead) Stadium.
The FIFA FanFest at the World War I Memorial and Museum has received registration from 125 different countries.
Half of the 100 or so reporters covering an Argentina practice at Sporting KC’s Kansas City, Kansas facility earlier this week were from Argentina.
Up to a dozen nations are expected to establish consular services at the Overland Park Convention Center.
Son mucho idiomas.
(That’s many languages.)
Kansas City is brushing up on its interpretive skills, preparing to welcome and accommodate visitors of all tongues for the world’s largest sporting event.
Translators won’t be needed for all visiting fans. England, although it’s not playing a group-stage game in Kansas City, has its base camp here. So does the Netherlands, where more than 90% of citizens speak English. Up to 5,000 fans from Holland are expected to travel here; the Dutch play in KC on June 25.
Spanish-speaking Argentina, which also has a base camp here and opens defense of its World Cup championship on June 16, likely will have the most visiting fans in Kansas City. At the recent practice session in KCK, fans of the team gathered near the stadium just to catch a glimpse of their bus arriving and departing.
The nation of Argentina is becoming more proficient in English. According to a 2024 report, South American country the has the best English-speaking skills in Latin America.
Arabic is the primary language in Algeria, which is setting up base camp in Lawrence and will play two games in Kansas City.
KC2026 CEO Pam Kramer said bilingual volunteers will be stationed at the airport and others will wear badges indicating what languages they speak. They’ll also have translation apps.
“I think 40% of our volunteers speak a second language,” Kramer said. “So deploying those volunteers at critical locations is really important.”
Like the FIFA Fan Fest, which has received registrations from around the globe.
The KC2026.com website, with information about transportation, lodging, restaurants and entertainment, is available in dozens of languages, from Afrikaans — “Welkom In Die Hartland” — to Zulu: “Siyakwamukela E-Heartland.”
Many “wayfinding” signs will use icons because of language considerations. Scannable QR codes will have translated information.
“With our ConnectKC icons, people don’t need to be familiar with the words,” Kramer said. “The pictures can help them find where they’re going.”
The ConnectKC26 Region Connect bus service begins June 11 and runs through July 13. A one-day pass is $5, a seven-day pass is $25 and a tournament-long pass is $50. This service also will be available to fans heading to the KC Royals’ home games during the World Cup.
The Airport Direct service, which runs between the Kansas City airport and the bus mall on 27th and Main, is free.
The Stadium Direct service will run on game days and is $15 and a match ticket is required.