Six matches. Four national team base camps. Hundreds of thousands of visitors. After years of planning and preparations, Kansas City concluded its duties hosting the World Cup this month.
And Kansas City residents leaned into their role. The city ranked at or among the top U.S. television markets for World Cup matches, and the games at Arrowhead averaged crowds of 68,862. Across the city, watch parties from the FIFA Fan Festival to Sporting KC Park were filled with local and international fans. Restaurants made special menus and businesses made themed (but trademark compliant) merchandise to sell.
As the smallest U.S. host city, planning for Kansas City’s matches was a significant undertaking. State and local governments spent nearly $200 million in public money on the tournament, and federal grants amounted to nearly $80 million more. Many municipal projects were also executed with a goal of being completed in time for the World Cup.
To Spokes Cafe owner Dan Walsh, whose bike-themed coffee shop has three locations across downtown and midtown Kansas City, it was all worth it. Though his sales didn’t improve much, he saw the tournament as a 30-day advertisement for Kansas City.
“I'm more interested in what this does for the next five years in terms of economic development, corporations moving here, conventions coming here,” Walsh told KCUR’s Up To Date. “I don't think any of us thought we were going to make our fortune in the 30 days of the World Cup.”
Local organizers with KC2026 promised the weekslong event would be a boon for local businesses, but results were mixed. Some bars and merch sellers did get a big boost from tourists, while others like Walsh saw sales flatten or even fall.
The total number of tourists and overall economic impact of the World Cup is not yet known, but many economists were skeptical of KC2026’s initial projects and lofty estimate of 650,000 visitors.
Chris Goode, who owns Ruby Jean’s Juicery on Troost Avenue, said he sees the mixed results as an opportunity to encourage more honest dialogue between large event organizers and business owners. Many restaurants, bars and shops along Troost saw little impact from the World Cup, as the city and its transportation infrastructure directed most crowds towards the FIFA Fan Festival and downtown neighborhoods nearby.
“They're basing on projections,” Goode said. “And we can't fall into a projection space as a small business community, and that's on us if we did. But moving forward, that dialogue just has to improve.”
Susan Brown operates short-term rental properties in the Kansas City area and serves as president of the Kansas City Short Term Rental Alliance.
Kansas City’s short-term rental market grew more than any other host city in preparation for the tournament. Travelers were slow to book at first, Brown said, and she was worried the market had outpaced demand.
But once the tournament began, rental hosts saw an uptick in reservations.
“It was just sort of a sigh of relief,” said Brown, whose properties located around the Kansas City metro were mostly filled during the matches.
Now, Brown is hoping Kansas City gets tapped to host the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which she says could push the city’s visibility even further. The U.S. is the sole bidder for that tournament, but FIFA has yet to announce the selection or participating cities.
“All these build on each other. I mean, people didn't know what Kansas City was,” Brown said. “We were flyover country. We're not anymore.”
- Susan Brown, Kansas City Short Term Rental Alliance
- Dan Walsh, Spokes Cafe
- Chris Goode, Ruby Jean’s Juicery
