Around 650,000 people are expected to descend on the KC metro over a two-week period to watch six world-class soccer matches at Arrowhead Stadium for the World Cup.
Kansas City is just one of 16 North American cities in Mexico, the United States and Canada to host 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport’s global governing body, World Cup matches. The tournament is held every four years, and the current reigning champ is Argentina, who beat France for its third title at the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar.
For those unsure how it all works, the World Cup begins with a qualification phase that takes place over the course of three years preceding the start. This phase determines which teams qualify for the tournament phase. In the 2026 tournament phase, 48 teams will compete for the crowning title at venues within the host countries over the course of about a month. The host nations automatically qualify for this phase. The championship game will be played at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026.
To prepare for the big show, city leaders created the nonprofit KC2026. This organization is planning and overseeing the overall strategy for the games and associated events and experience for the region’s largest sporting event in its history. The group recently unveiled a countdown clock at Union Station and highlighted key people and organizations involved in getting KC ready for the soccer world stage.
One such company is Populus, a global sports and entertainment company headquartered in KC. Some of the firm’s local work includes Arrowhead Stadium, Children’s Mercy Park and Kauffman Stadium.
“So many of the spaces and experiences we’ve designed have been at the heart of historic moments,” said Bruce Miller, global chair and CEO of Populous, at a press conference. “Hosting the FIFA World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime event not just for the greater Kansas City area but for the entire Midwest region. We’re honored to lend our global expertise to help Kansas City shine under this brightest of spotlights, and we’re ready to assist in delivering an experience that fans will never forget.”
The city has also earmarked various funds and grants to help small businesses, such as $1.4 million to get entrepreneurs and their businesses into vacant storefronts. Other grants have been approved to expand patio dining options at local restaurants, move liquor licensing along and help get more short-term rentals ready.
“As Kansas City prepares to welcome the world for FIFA World Cup 2026, we’re committed to ensuring that every corner and ZIP code in our community benefits from this historic moment,” Mayor Quinton Lucas said at a press conference.
World Cup Stats
The first WC was in 1930.
There have been a total of 22 final tournaments.
Eighty national teams have competed.
Brazil has won the most WC titles with five.
Germany and Italy have both won four World Cup titles.
Uruguay won the first WC.
The World Cup is the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world. An estimated 3.57 billion people, close to half the world’s population, viewed the 2018 World Cup.
About 1.5 billion people watched the 2022 final WC match.
Eighteen countries have hosted the World Cup.
Six World Cup matches will be played in KC.
