Suzanne Hogan

The Netherlands-Tunisia World Cup match will kick off at 6 p.m. Thursday at Arrowhead Stadium.

A sea of soccer fans decked out in orange is set to descend on downtown Kansas City, engaging in a 22-year-old Dutch tradition: the Oranje Fanwalk. Fans of the Netherlands World Cup team show their pride by parading alongside their beloved double-decker orange bus on match days.

If they heed the warnings, people in Kansas City have taken shelter more than usual this season — the 1,438 severe weather warnings issued so far is the most on record. But staffing cuts to the National Weather Service have resulted in less warning time for some storm systems.

With the World Cup underway in Kansas City, Oliver Wright — who makes videos on TikTok as @SideQuestDad — has become a local celebrity talking about soccer and living in the Midwest as a Brit. In particular, he’s been teaching visitors how to beat the oppressive summer heat.

Youth soccer programs seem almost ubiquitous in modern America. But not that long ago, there weren’t many options for young athletes who wanted to play the sport. Bill Finn, who co-founded Brookside Soccer Club with two other local dads in 1977, joined KCUR’s Up To Date on Tuesday to talk about how it all got started.

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.

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. How did we land such a big event, and are we ready?

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.

Con el nuevo estadio innovador del KC Current, el fútbol soccer femenino se ha consolidado como una parte fundamental de la identidad de Kansas City. Es una de las razones principales por las que esta ciudad patrocinará la Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026 y por la que Estados Unidos es tomada en serio en el fútbol soccer. Pero tras siglos de prejuicios, financiación desigual y prohibiciones directas, los aficionados no dan por sentado este dominio.

With the Current’s trailblazing stadium, women’s soccer staked its claim as a vital part of Kansas City’s local identity. The women’s game is a central reason why this city will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and why the United States gets taken seriously in soccer at all. But after more than a century of prejudice, unequal funding and outright bans, fans don't take this dominance for granted. KCUR’s Suzanne Hogan brings us the third installment of our mini-series on Kansas City’s soccer history.