Team Argentina, the defending champions of the FIFA World Cup, arrived in Kansas City over the weekend to get ready for a tournament with sky-high expectations.
Nicknamed “la Albiceleste” (the White and Sky Blue), after the flag of the Republic of Argentina and the team’s blue and white striped jerseys, they won the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. They also won 1986 and 1978, with appearances in finals six times. Led by Lionel Messi, Argentina is hoping for a back-to-back victory, something no team has done since Brazil in 1962.
Before the tournament kicks off, KCUR's Adventure newsletter is bringing you guides to each of the four World Cup teams staying in Kansas City, and how to celebrate the global event through the lens of their country.
Argentina is known for its dedicated fan base, and all around Kansas City we’ll surely hear the chants, songs, and percussion that accompany them.
Read on to find out more about the Argentinian national team and where to find their food and culture around the metro. (Then check out our installments on Algeria and England!)
Where Argentina is staying in Kansas City
Argentina’s base camp is Sporting Kansas City’s Compass Minerals National Performance Center in Kansas City, Kansas. You can take a virtual tour of the facilities and be on the lookout for opportunities for fans to see the team in training, dates and times TBD, should they be available.
Their hotel accommodations, however, will be across state lines on the Berkley Riverfront, at the Origin Hotel, where additional security and street closures are in place — and a large “Vamos Argentina” banner has been hung.
Argentina plays in Group J and their first match is against Algeria in Kansas City on June 16 at Arrowhead Stadium, followed by two matches in Dallas.
They also have two pre-tournament friendlies: June 6 against Honduras in College Station, Texas, and June 9 against Iceland in Auburn, Alabama.
Here is Argentina’s first-round schedule:
- June 16: Argentina vs. Algeria at Kansas City Stadium
- June 22: Argentina vs. Austria at Dallas Stadium
- June 27: Argentina vs. Jordan at Dallas Stadium
Get to know Argentina’s national team
Argentina’s team captain, Lionel Messi, is arguably the most famous footballer right now. Fans and competitors alike were watching him closely after he left the pitch with a leg issue during an Inter Miami game in Philadelphia on May 24, but he’s still slated to join the team.
This will be Messi’s sixth World Cup, and he also holds the record for most World Cup match appearances, at 26. (There was even a 70-foot tall statue of him in India, though it is being taken down for safety reasons.)
Since 2018, Argentina’s 26-man team has been coached by former player Lionel Scaloni, who led their win against France in 2022.
From an all-round strong team, goalkeeper Emiliano "Dibu" Martínez is another standout. He currently plays for Aston Villa in Birmingham, England, but was part of the winning 2022 Argentina team in Qatar. Martínez is known for his impressive record of penalty saves.
You will hear them
Argentinian football fans consider themselves part of the team and are overtly passionate — embracing the concept of “aguante” (endurance), which means showing up even if the situation is tough.
Music historian Eduardo Herrera, who recently gave a talk on Argentinian football music culture at Kansas City Public Library, theorizes that Argentinian football fans compose the largest music-making ensemble in the world. The team’s fanbase has a long history of songs and chants, including the classic “Ole, Ole, Ole.”
In 2022, the song “Muchachos” swept the nation, in the stadium, the streets, and social media, full of allusions to the players, the team, and Argentinian history. There are plenty of options for this year’s anthem, too, like “Vamos Argentina” or “Messi.”
Hardcore fans are called “hinchas,” and you can hear them singing, chanting, playing brass instruments and the iconic bombo de platillo (bass drum with cymbal). You might also see them jumping continuously in the stands.
Kansas City’s local Argentinian fans are organizing “Banderazo Argento” in Mill Creek Park on June 15, the day before Argentina’s game against Algeria. The event is free, and starts at 6 p.m.
Where to find Argentinian food around Kansas City
Argentina, like most of the Central and South Americas, was colonized by the Spanish in the 1600s. The country’s population of 46 million people is centered at the nation’s capital, Buenos Aires, a port city in the north east. The culture blends influences of European, Indigenous, and African people, with the 20th century including Asian and Arab immigrants, too.
You can find Argentine cuisine in restaurants and popups around Kansas City.
Café Corazón
Local Latinx coffee shop chain Café Corazón (with locations in Westport, Crossroads, and Brookside) serves Argentinian empanadas and a variety of alfajores.
Alfajores are like coconut short bread cookie sandwiches (something between a macaron and a moonpie), in flavors like guava, lavender, or matcha. These are available year round, made by Silvia Miguel of Pan Caliente. You can also pick up Team Argentina-inspired merch, a blue and white jersey with Cafe Corazon’s heart logo.
Buenos Aires Restaurante and Argentina Inc. Empanadas
Chef Claudia Luna West opened Buenos Aires Restaurante in downtown Shawnee, Kansas, in 2025, honoring her heritage of Argentina, England, Spain, and Italy, with empanadas, English tea, pastas, and more. For entrees, you can try the choripan (a sandwich with Argentinian chorizo and chimichurri) and Argentinian steak. Pairing her heritage with the traditions of her new home, she’s also introduced the Kansas BBQ Empanada, in partnership with Jack’s Stack BBQ.
For the World Cup, West also opened the popup Argentina Inc. in Prairie Village shops. They’re offering catering during the tournament, and are also selling readymade empanada meals in the grab-and-go section at select Hen House grocery stores. Your options are beef, chicken, ham-and-cheese, and a chorizo-and-cheese called “The Messi,” part of Hen House’s international “Taste Flight” line.
Piropos Restaurant
Another option for fine dining is Piropos Restaurant, in Briarcliff Village, north of the Missouri River. Chef Cristina Worden is originally from Argentina and they serve empanadas such as corn, caprese, beef with raisins, and chicken with roasted peppers. You’ll find plenty of steaks on this menu, plus Argentinian flatbreads, chips, and a dessert based on the traditional almendrado, with toasted almonds and dulce de leche.
Piropos also serves a variety of seafood: Argentina has over 3,100 miles of coastline, stretching from the Rio de la Plata to Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost point of the Americas.
Andre’s Confiserie Suisse
Andre’s Confiserie Suisse, Kansas City’s Swiss chocolate shop, has created limited edition chocolate bars inspired by each of the Kansas City-based teams, the words “Celebrate Soccer” written in the language of each team.
For Argentina, they concocted a dulce de leche milk chocolate bar, which has a delicious caramel-y crunch.
Los Hornos
In the Northland, Los Hornos serves various styles of empanadas, including Tucuman (beef brisket, onion, and hard boiled egg). On their extensive menu, they also serve milanesas (tenderized beef, chicken or pork covered in breadcrumbs and fried), traditional desserts like vigilante, a sweet potato paste with cheese, and pastries like medialunas (croissants) and churros.
They serve meals like Argentine Tabla for 2 — chorizo or morcilla (blood sausages), French fries, classic provoleta, chimichurri, and garlic breads — and you can also buy frozen empanadas to enjoy at home.
Silver City and Sister City
For a linguistic connection, and to see local history writ large, visit the Argentine neighborhood in Kansas City, Kansas, not far from the Argentinian national team’s base camp.
Argentine was named for the silver smeltery, established in 1880, and derived its name from the Latin word for silver: Argentum. Similarly, it was the silver ornaments worn by Native people when the Spanish arrived in the 16th century that tendered the name Argentina for the region.
Argentine, which borders the Missouri River, was incorporated into Kansas City, Kansas, in 1910.
Along Metropolitan Ave, Kansas City artist Jose Faus created the 660-foot mural “Anthology of Argentine,” chronicling the history of the area, a site of interest for international visitors and hometown fans alike.
Kansas City, Kansas, also became Sister Cities with the Argentinian city of Concepción, in the Tucumán province in the Northwest, with a ceremonial signing of the official agreement at Sporting KC. Why this particular city? It’s because Chef West of Buenos Aires Restaurante is both chair of the Sister Cities Association and is originally from Concepción.
Concepción joins Kansas City, Kansas’ other Sister Cities: Karlovac, Croatia; Limerick, Ireland; Linz, Austria; and Uruapan, Mexico.
Move like an Argentinian
While Team Argentina is undoubtedly a thrill to watch, Argentina gives us another great tradition: tango. The dance and music tradition migrated up to Kansas City at the beginning of the 20th century during the “tango craze” and it never really left.
Tango Lorca was a popular Kansas City group in the mid-1990s, inspired by the music of bandoneonist Astor Piazzolla. World music group Ensemble Iberica often brings in Argentinian music and musicians, like their upcoming concert “Cuartetos Guitarreros” featuring tango guitar music with guest artist Adam Tully.
You can attend social dances — milongas — with beginner, intermediate, and expert sessions, and get to know the tango community through organizations like West Side Tango, which holds monthly social dances at Greenwood Social Hall.
Tango Matiz, run by Kirill and Sophia Miniaev, hosts classes at Viva Social Dance Studio in Shawnee, Kansas, on Fridays — their schedule is posted through June.
