Argentina vs. Algeria live updates: Kansas City experiences first World Cup game

After years of anticipation and organization, the FIFA 2026 World Cup is finally kicking off in Kansas City with an anticipated game between Algeria and Argentina.

Tuesday’s match is the first being played in Kansas City at what is usually GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium but is being renamed Kansas City Stadium for the game.

While fans gather at the stadium itself, the FIFA Fan Fest and other watch parties will offer more ways to experience the game.

The Star will have staff members all across the sites bringing you updates. Follow along here all night.

Traffic disrupts journey to Arrowhead

6:50 p.m.: Due to traffic, one bus has taken an hour and a half to get from near the Fan Fest area to Arrowhead. Traffic to get on Blue Ridge Cutoff from I-70 is backed up heavily. Some fans hopped out of their rideshare cars in the middle of the street just to get out of traffic.

If you’re having trouble getting to the game, let us know at tips@kcstar.com.

— Rashad Alexander

Fans arrive at Power & Light

6:30 p.m.: At KC Live in Kansas City’s Power & Light District, fans are slowing trickling in, but it’s not yet the size of the Mexico-centric crowd seen last week in the entertainment district.

So far, Argentina jerseys are dominating the area, with an hour and a half to go before kickoff.

— Ben Wheeler

Argentina’s arrival at Arrowhead

6:15 p.m.: From inside a media area, Star reporters watched the defending champions arrive at Arrowhead. Argentina’s bus was seen pulling into the lot just under two hours before kickoff.

Algeria followed shortly after in a similar bus.

— Vahe Gregorian and Pete Grathoff

Algerian and Lawrence now deeply connected

6:15 p.m.: Algeria’s national soccer team has turned its World Cup base camp in Lawrence into an international feel-good story, and the team is now returning the love. Ahead of its match against Argentina at Arrowhead Stadium, the Desert Foxes released a cinematic hype video that follows an eagle across the United States before landing in Kansas.

Since the team touched down June 7 on a plane bearing a Fennec Fox on its tail, Lawrence has embraced Algeria in a big way.

The new video isn’t a picture-perfect rendering of Lawrence, but the gesture has resonated with fans back in Algeria, who have been following the warm welcome from afar. See the full story to watch the video and see how Lawrence became the unlikely heart of one of the World Cup’s best stories so far.

— Reporting from Pete Grathoff

A bit of Kansas City-World Cup history

6:10 p.m.: Long before Kansas City prepared to host six matches in soccer’s global tournament, an Overland Park kid named Matt Besler gave the city its first taste of the World Cup stage. In June 2014, he found himself assigned to mark Cristiano Ronaldo — then the reigning best player in the world.

Besler, who once aspired to little more than high school basketball tournaments and indoor soccer in Kansas City, became the first Kansas City kid to reach the World Cup. In a locker room in Manaus, Brazil, U.S. coaches scrawled defensive assignments on a whiteboard for a match against Portugal. Besler knew before they wrote it: his man would be Ronaldo. His strategy? Go after the player as much as the ball.

The Americans, clear underdogs, tied Portugal 2-2 — a result that helped the U.S. escape the tournament’s toughest group while Portugal went home. Read the full story.

— Reporting from Sam McDowell

Is World Cup good for business?

5:55 p.m.: Kansas City businesses are reporting a mix of booming sales and unexpected slowdowns as FIFA World Cup fans flood the city. While some bars and coffee shops are seeing record days, others say locals are avoiding the area entirely.

The city projected a $653 million economic impact from hosting World Cup matches, with the first Kansas City game set for Monday evening at GEHA Field at Arrowhead. Crown Center extended hours until 8 p.m., but Unforked general manager Jessica Peña said FIFA does not appear to be boosting business beyond typical summer levels.

Parisi Coffee barista Taryn Nugen said Monday was likely the busiest day the shop has had, comparing the week to its holiday rush as Argentina fans packed tables before heading to the Fan Fest. Blue Line bartender Jack Yuratovich said the bar’s first night open until 5 a.m. was its largest Wednesday ever, running 33% to 35% above average.

— Reporting from Jenna Thompson

Bracelet-making breaks out at Fan Fest

With just a couple of hours to go before Argentina begins its journey to defending its World Cup crown against Algeria in Kansas City, hundreds of fans are taking the downtime to try and get their hands on custom-made bracelets.

Through a partnership between FIFA and Bank of America, fans can create their own charm bracelets featuring the host country flags, soccer balls and Kansas City-exclusive designs.

Many of these fans will be in line for at least two hours waiting to make theirs, which would get them in front of the line just in time for kickoff.

— Joseph Hernandez

What to know about the Argentina vs. Algeria game

Defending champion Argentina meets Algeria on Tuesday in the first of four FIFA World Cup matches scheduled for Arrowhead Stadium. The Group J match marks the most significant international soccer event in the stadium’s history.

Here are key facts:

• Argentina and Algeria kick off at 8 p.m. Central on Tuesday, June 16, at Kansas City Stadium in a Group J match.
• The game airs on FOX, broadcast locally on WDAF (Channel 4).
• Argentina is a minus-255 favorite, according to ESPN, meaning a bettor would have to wager $255 to win $100. The over/under on total goals is 2 1/2.
• Arrowhead’s international soccer history dates to Aug. 24, 1973, when Torpedo Moscow defeated the North American Soccer League All-Stars 3-1 before 6,832 fans.
• Four total World Cup matches are scheduled at Arrowhead, including two group stage games and two knockout round games.

How The Star is covering World Cup

The World Cup is expected to be by far the largest event to take place in Kansas City in recent years. Organizers estimate 650,000 visitors will come to the metro area between June 11 and July 19. We are the smallest of the 2026 host cities.

Four teams — Algeria, Argentina, England, and The Netherlands — will call Kansas City their home base for the duration of the tournament.

This is a historic moment for our community. And historic moments are what The Star and our journalists do. Our managing editor Hannah Wise shares about how we are covering the World Cup.

This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 5:12 PM with the headline "Argentina vs. Algeria live updates: Kansas City experiences first World Cup game."