Arrowhead Stadium

A state lawmaker said the Unified Government’s ordinance to support the Chiefs deal exerts too much power over Kansas negotiations. County leaders believe he’s mistaken.

Los esfuerzos de Kansas City de ser anfitriona de la Copa Mundial se remontan a 1988. Y ahora, el torneo finalmente está aquí, tras cuatro años de preparativos que no solo han remodelado la infraestructura de la zona metropolitana, sino que también han consolidado su identidad como una auténtica ciudad del fútbol.

Dangerously hot, humid weather is likely at many of the 2026 World Cup soccer venues — especially Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, which is not covered. NPR crunched the numbers to see which matches are most at risk.

Kansas City’s efforts to host the World Cup go back all the way to 1988. Now the tournament is finally here, after four years of preparations that not only reshaped the metro’s infrastructure, but also solidified its identity as a true soccer city.

Kansas City, the smallest World Cup host city, is preparing to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors for the tournament. It's building a second transit system to get people where they need to go, but that will disappear when the crowds leave.

Kansas City’s six World Cup matches are among dozens seeing significant resale ticket prices drops in the last month. One local reseller attributes the losses to fan frustration with FIFA’s new confusing “dynamic pricing” system and more matches this year than for previous tournaments.

Many World Cup ticket holders felt deceived this month when FIFA assigned precise seat numbers to their already-purchased tickets. At the same time, FIFA hiked ticket prices for nearly every game — including an 87% increase for Kansas City's Argentina vs. Algeria match.

For World Cup ticket holders, Kansas City will run $15 shuttles to the stadium on game days. That’s significantly cheaper than the $100 buses and trains in East Coast host cities. A new bus route between downtown and the airport will remain free.

Want to see a 2026 World Cup game? A "last-minute” sales phase opened at 10 a.m. Wednesday. FIFA says demand for matches is high, and attendance could surpass the record previously set during the 1994 tournament.

Jackson County will task a group of “business leaders, developers and community stakeholders” to envision the future of the Truman Sports Complex after the Kansas City Chiefs’ and Royals’ stadium leases expire in 2031.

Public ownership of the new Chiefs stadium would shield bonds for the project from the federal income tax.

If “hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup” were a sport in and of itself, these past few months have shown that perhaps Kansas City wants this more than other cities. Plus: Federal funding woes and other issues facing the tournament with 100 days to go.