The World Cup may center around Arrowhead Stadium, but city leaders are keeping that energy alive even on the other side of State Line.
Through the Johnson County United Link transportation initiative, riders will be able to travel between key Johnson County destinations and Arrowhead Stadium during the tournament, with stops including Mission Farms and Leawood Town Center. The service will operate alongside the broader ConnectKC26 World Cup transit network, which will circulate across the region with stops including Oak Park Mall, the Overland Park Convention Center, Lenexa City Center and the Mission Transit Center, giving visitors multiple ways to move throughout Johnson County and the metro area during tournament events.
The City of Leawood, alongside the Leawood Chamber of Commerce, has been planning World Cup-related initiatives since early 2025. “Leawood viewed this as an incredible opportunity to welcome visitors from around the world while celebrating and engaging our residents, schools and strong businesses,” says Leawood councilmember Julie Cain, who also serves on the city’s World Cup executive committee.
City leaders saw participation in the transit route as a way to boost tourism and traffic to businesses in Kansas. “It was extremely important to Leawood Mayor Marc Elkins and the City Council to be part of the JoCo United Link to promote tourism, support community goodwill and drive awareness and foot traffic to Leawood and Chamber businesses,” Cain says.
Riders will be able to purchase a $5 day pass, $25 seven-day pass and $50 tournament pass for access to the service.
Local business owners are excited by the opportunity of bringing international customers to their doors. “The World Cup will bring so much energy and excitement to Kansas City, and having a transportation stop at Mission Farms gives visitors an easy way to experience everything this area has to offer beyond the stadiums,” says Darby Brender, owner of Sweat Lab Fitness Studio at Mission Farms.
To learn more about World Cup transportation around the metro visit, kansascityfwc26.com.
