World Cup teams learn what ‘shelter in place’ means as severe storms hit KC
There’s been a weird weather quirk surrounding the national soccer teams that have made base camps in the Kansas City area.
When Argentina arrived earlier this month, tornado sirens sounded in the early hours the following morning. The same happened after Algeria got to Lawrence. And, on Saturday night, damaging storms hit on England’s first night in Kansas City.
At England’s training on Sunday, British reporters admitted to being unnerved.
“You hear the sirens,” one said, “it’s kind of a moment of panic.”
Severe thunderstorm warning alerts jolted the phones of people all around Kansas City on Saturday night. That included England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who is staying at the Inn at Meadowbrook in Prairie Village.
“I was a little bit worried whenever we got the warning on the phone,” Pickford said. “But no, it was fine in the end, to be honest. We just stayed indoors and it was fine.”
Argentina got a second taste of the weather on Saturday at the Origin Hotel, where they are staying. A barbecue was taking place for the team, and in classic Kansas City fashion, the food preparation continued as sirens wailed.
“ARGENTINE SQUAD’S BARBECUE! while an alert is in effect in Kansas for ‘destructive winds’ and ‘severe storms,’” TyC shared on X.
But eventually, the team did head for a safe place, as they learned what the term “shelter in place” means.
TyC Sports shared that video on X and wrote: “This is how Saturday night is being experienced in Kansas City, the city hosting the Argentine National Team: tornado alert and sheltering in hotel basements.”
These World Cup teams certainly are getting the full Kansas City experience.
This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 9:40 AM.
