Before KC’s 6 World Cup matches, look back at 6 huge soccer games at Arrowhead
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium is no stranger to soccer.
Now set to host six 2026 FIFA World Cup matches over the next month, the home of the Chiefs was also once home to MLS franchise Sporting KC, back when they were called the Kansas City Wizards.
Soccer at Arrowhead has been sparse since Sporting KC left in 2007 for its own stadium, but it’s still had its fair share of action. International teams and international superstars have graced its field, and it will welcome quite a few more in the coming days.
Before the upcoming quarterfinal match almost certainly takes the place of one of these games, here’s a look back at six key soccer matches to take place at Arrowhead Stadium throughout its history.
1996: The first Wizards game
The Kansas City Wiz, as they were called when they debuted during the 1996 season, played its first games on April 13, 1996, at Arrowhead. The franchise founded by Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt won its first game 3-0 against the Colorado Rapids.
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More than 20,000 fans showed up to watch the match. Ownership had been hoping to see 15,000 fans in the crowd at the stadium that can host over 76,000 (its official capacity for the World Cup is 69,045).
1999: A visit from the U.S. Women’s National Team
Fresh off a World Cup victory over the summer of 1999, the U.S. Women’s National Team hosted the Women’s U.S. Cup, featuring themselves and three other teams: Brazil, Finland and South Korea.
The round-robin four-team tournament took place in October, with a doubleheader scheduled at Arrowhead for Oct. 7. The United States, led by superstar Mia Hamm, took on Finland, defeating them 6-0 in front of the Kansas City crowd.
The match drew 36,405 fans, which was at that point the biggest crowd for a soccer match in Kansas City. The record has since been broken.
2008: Hello, David Beckham
Before becoming part of the ownership behind MLS’s Inter Miami, English superstar David Beckham was once one of the best soccer players in the world. His combined on-and-off the field stardom led to the Wizards moving his first match against them as a member of the LA Galaxy to Arrowhead.
More than 26,000 fans packed Arrowhead Stadium to see Kansas City take on Beckham and the Galaxy on Sept. 13, 2008, and the Wizards fans went home happy. They defeated Los Angeles 2-0.
2010: Glory Glory, Man United
No one expected Premier League powerhouse Manchester United to lose during its 2010 United States summer tour, even if the matches were exhibitions.
That’s exactly what happened July 25, 2010, when the Wizards shocked the world by beating Manchester 2-1 in front of 52,424 fans, which was then the largest crowd to watch a soccer match in Arrowhead history. What makes this even more surprising is that KC did it with only 10 men.
2015: Brawl for All
An international friendly between Mexico and Paraguay played on March 31, 2015, might be remembered more for what happened after the game.
Things were chippy between the two teams, and it bled into the crowd. Fans stormed the field after Mexico’s 1-0 victory, and many of them were tackled by security. Fans also threw beer cans onto the field.
Despite the post-match antics, Mexico’s Miguel Herrera said the Arrowhead crowd made them feel like they were playing in their home country.
“They were shouting at Chicharito and they were applauding the players,” Herrera said to Sports Illustrated. “It makes me very happy to know that our people came to watch us.”
2024: Hello, Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is also no stranger to Arrowhead Stadium.
The Argentine soccer legend and defending World Cup champion made his way to Kansas City in 2024 as a part of Inter Miami, who was scheduled to play Sporting KC on April 13. In anticipation of the demand, Sporting announced the game would be played at Arrowhead.
The demand was met: 72,610 fans packed the stadium, which is the largest crowd for a soccer match at Arrowhead and the third-largest soccer crowd for an MLS game.
Fans of the superstar got their money’s worth. He scored and assisted on another goal on Miami’s way to winning 3-2.
