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Kansas City came out swinging in the World Cup draw

An illustration showing the Kansas City skyline with the words "Kansas City Today"

Kansas City found out over the weekend which countries it will host for World Cup games at Arrowhead Stadium next summer. There’s even a chance two of the world’s greatest players could face off here.

The list of teams set to play group-stage matches in Kansas City includes a wide range of countries, from the defending champions Argentina to first-time qualifier Curaçao. Kansas City could also potentially be home to a historic quarterfinal contest between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, if their countries meet expectations. KCUR's Up To Date host Steve Kraske spoke with interim news director and resident soccer reporter Madeline Fox about the slate of World Cup matches headed to Kansas City next year.

Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox, Gabe Rosenberg and Emily Younker.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

As a newscaster and a host of a daily news podcast, I want to deliver the most important and interesting news of the day in an engaging and easily understandable way. No matter where you live in the metro or what you’re interested in, I want you to learn something from each newscast or podcast – and maybe even give you something to talk about at the dinner table.
Jacob Smollen is the 2025-2026 intern for KCUR Studios. Email him at jsmollen@kcur.org.
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