Kansas City is one of sixteen North American host cities for the 2026 World Cup, and it’s preparing to welcome hundreds of thousands of soccer fans from all around the world. There is a lot to do before next June, and KCUR is reporting on how this massive event is changing the region.
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, KCUR’s Suzanne Hogan was selected for a fellowship with the Great Game Lab at Arizona State University to chronicle Kansas City’s path to becoming a soccer city.
The Great Game Lab is partnering with storytellers in World Cup host cities to explore how their communities have become connected to the world’s game.
“Culture and sport have a way of bringing people together and building empathy across borders,” says Andrés Martinez, co-director of the Great Game Lab. “That’s why it’s so significant that the U.S. and communities like KC have become players in the world’s most popular game. We want to understand how and why this happened, and what it might mean for Americans’ future global engagement.”
Hogan is a host of the award winning podcast A People’s History of Kansas City, and has been working at KCUR for 18 years. She also has her own personal connection to soccer’s earliest chapter here: Her grandfather was a Costa Rican immigrant who was one of the earliest trailblazers and advocates for the sport in Kansas City.
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to highlight the hard work of so many people in our community and amplify their stories,” says Hogan. “The history of the sport hasn’t been as well documented as other sports, so there is a lot to share.”
In four episodes over the next year (the first of which published last month in both English and Spanish), Hogan will follow the efforts of Kansas City’s early immigrant communities, chart the rise of the city’s first professional team, the ascension and dominance of women’s soccer, and how Kansas City has grown into an international hot bed for both athletes and fans.
Do you have a soccer story to share? KCUR would love to hear from you. If you know about a local champion of soccer in Kansas City who helped bring the city to this extraordinary moment, email peopleshistorykc@kcur.org .
Follow all of KCUR’s World Cup coverage, visit KCUR.org/WorldCup.
