Colombia defeated Ghana, 1-0, at Kansas City Stadium, better known as Arrowhead Stadium the rest of the year.
It was a devastating loss for Ghana, but fans still celebrated the team’s performance. The team hasn't advanced past the group stage since 2010, when they went to the quarterfinals.
Colombia, meanwhile, last made it past this Round of 32 stage in 2018, when the team then lost in a penalty shootout against England.
Kodjo Amoah came from Overland Park, Kansas, to attend a watch party for Ghana's Black Stars at Distrkct Multimedia, a music and podcast studio just north of the historic 18th and Vine district that transformed from a coworking space to a party venue with food, music and small business vendors.
Originally from Ghana, Amoah said he was sad to see his home country’s team knocked out of the tournament. He’s already looking forward to the next World Cup, where he hopes Ghana will beat its 2010 record.
“We were expecting them to improve and and do better, to go to quarterfinals or something, but it seems that they need more work to do to be able to get there,” Amoah said. “We hope that the next World Cup, they will be in good shape to go further.”
Meanwhile, at a watch party at Paisa MX, the crowd erupted in cheers and dancing after the final whistle as the DJ played Colombian cumbia music.
Jashmi Fontanez took part in the celebrations. Though she's Puerto Rican, she said she loves cheering for Colombia.
"Everybody came together, everybody's happy," she said as people danced around her. "Everybody is enjoying their friends and family, and that's what we're here for."
Thomas Afful is also known as Nana Kojo Kwaji, or the first chief of Ghanians in Greater Kansas City. The Distrkct gathering was the fourth watch party the group, which includes Ghanaians from all different tribes, has held for Ghana during the tournament. He said it's grown every time, and Friday's watch particularly had more people from outside Kansas City.
"Win or lose, we're always going to be behind our Black Stars," he said.
Ahead of the match, organizers had people cheer to represent where in the world they'd come from to watch the Black Stars — named after the Ghanaian flag's star — compete in the round of 32. As the Ghanian national anthem began playing, the packed room of more than 100 attendees jumped to their feet and joined in on the singing.
Fans of Colombia gathered at Paisa MX, a Colombian-Mexican restaurant and bar, in North Kansas City.
Fans dressed in yellow jerseys filled the large, covered patio to watch the game on Telemundo. The restaurant took reservations ahead of the match, with every table packed. Excited fans kept cool with buckets filled with ice and bottles of Modelo.
Yonatan Oberlechner, a Colombian Kansas City resident, regularly visits the restaurant. He was excited to watch the game with his sisters and friends.
"When you come here, of course as a Colombian, you want to experience the food because there isn't that many Colombian foods here," he said. "But when you have a chance to come here and then actually enjoy your team and the FIFA World Cup, and then then having great food, that just makes the ambience even better."
Edith Gyasi is the owner of Jez Foods. She came from St. Louis to cater the Ghana watch party at Distrkct and brought her authentic Ghanaian street food, including kelewele — spicy fried plantains —with her. Many fans stopped by her table to get wings, doughnuts or a cold drink before sitting down to watch the match.
"I came so that we can enjoy the event and for people to have a taste of back home," Gyasi said. "It's amazing, the crowd alone is party! I've been loving it so far."
Kansas City residents Pamela Cornielle and Diego Cuellar wore matching yellow Colombian jerseys to the Paisa MX party, though Cornielle is Dominican.
"Since he's Colombian, I have to be there for him no matter what, so I guess I'm Colombian too," Cornielle said.
"I got my heart on my sleeve," she added. "We're ready to win."
More than eight hours before the game kicked off, fans were already getting into the spirit. The Kansas City streetcar filled with song as Colombia fans made their way to the Fan Festival around noon.
It’s been a busy week for fans of the two teams, who held rallies in Kansas City ahead of the elimination match. Supporters of Los Cafeteros, as Colombia’s team is known, flocked to a “banderazo,” or large rally, at Mill Creek Park on Thursday night before heading over to the Marriott Country Club Plaza, where the team is staying, to celebrate the athletes.
Meanwhile, Black Stars fans partied at Washington Square Park. They held a “jama,” a celebration in Ghanaian culture that features traditional songs, chants and dance.
Among the soccer diehards, though, was an unwelcome guest: oppressive heat. A heat dome has brought grueling heat and humidity to the Midwest. The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning through Saturday evening, with heat indexes as high as 101 degrees. The temperature is expected to be in the high 80s during the match.
The match in Kansas City, along with those played in Miami, Florida and Monterrey, Mexico, were expected to be one of the hottest and most humid at this stage in the tournament. Public health officials warned people to stay hydrated before and during the games, take breaks in the shade and take time to allow the body to acclimate to the hot and humid conditions.
The FIFA Fan Festival put up extra water misters and hydration stations throughout the day and into the evening. Pam Kramer, CEO of World Cup planning organization KC2026, said earlier this week that her team added hydration stations at shuttle stops where people catch buses to the fan festival or Kansas City Stadium. Kramer said the goal was to keep wait times to under 30 minutes to keep fans safe from the heat.
Of the Kansas City area’s four base camp teams, only two are still in the tournament. Prior to the Friday evening matchup at Arrowhead Stadium, Argentina will face Cabo Verde in another Round of 32 game in Miami. England plays Mexico on Sunday, but El Tricolor has the homefield advantage: The game kicks off at Mexico City Stadium at 7 p.m.
On Thursday, Algeria lost to Switzerland 2-0, marking the end of Les Fennecs’ World Cup run, though not the end of the love affair between Algeria and Lawrence, Kansas. The Netherlands lost to Morocco in penalty kicks on Monday, and headed back across the Atlantic on Wednesday.
Colombia will now play Switzerland in a Round of 16 game on July 7 in Vancouver, Canada.
