We should know in December which national teams are coming to KC for World Cup
Thirteen teams already have booked a spot in the 2026 World Cup, which means there are 35 more to be determined.
That’s roughly 27% of the field, so it’s far too early to know which teams are coming to play in Kansas City next year. But six matches are scheduled for GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, including four group stage games.
Ahead of each World Cup, FIFA holds a swanky ceremony in which the groups for the tournament are determined by a random draw. The date for that event hasn’t been released officially, but ESPN reported it will take place Dec. 5 in Las Vegas.
On that day, Kansas City will know which country’s fans will be descending on our fair city to have fun and watch some soccer.
“Dec. 5, if I’m not mistaken, is precisely the day the draw takes place, or at the beginning of December,” Pedro Cedillo, an executive for Mexican side Pachuca told ESPN.
“I understand it will be in Las Vegas, and that’s where we need to be present to provide information about the city of Pachuca, the state of Hidalgo and the two venues we have.”
Qualified teams
The World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, so those three nations are in the tournament.
Ten other teams have qualified: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Iran, Japan, Jordan, New Zealand, South Korea and Uzbekistan.
Group matches in KC
Here are the dates of the four group stage matches that will be played at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (which will be known as Kansas City Stadium).
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Saturday, June 27, 2026
This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 7:51 AM.
