The top executives of two of Kansas City's major sports franchises said this week that the city has successfully pulled off its hosting duties for the FIFA World Cup.
"I think we will be designated as a desired soccer destination in the world going forward," said Cliff Illig, founder and owner of Sporting Kansas City, at a news conference Friday. "I don't think the World Cup really created Kansas City soccer culture, but it did a very good job of showcasing how we, the soccer capital of America, host people and how we emphasize this sport and its role, not just in American sports, but in the global sports landscape."
Kansas City is the smallest of the host cities for the 2026 World Cup, which is being held across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. It served as the home base for Argentina, England, the Netherlands and Algeria, and several additional teams, including Tunisia, Colombia and Curaçao, played at least one match here.
The final match in Kansas City kicks off at 8 p.m. Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium, a quarterfinal featuring 2022 champion Argentina against Switzerland. The World Cup continues at venues across North America for another week, wrapping up with the championship match on Sunday, July 19, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Saturday also marks the final day of the FIFA Fan Festival, held on the grounds of the National WWI Museum and Memorial.
More than 310,000 people have attended Fan Fest since it first opened on June 11, said Pam Kramer, CEO of KC2026, the local World Cup organization. The group's World Cup transportation service, Connect KC26, has served more than 190,000 people, and that number could rise to more than 200,000 by the end of this weekend, she said.
Illig said those numbers could have only been made possible by the work of KC2026, which has been planning for the World Cup since Kansas City was announced as a host city in 2022. He cited the thousands of volunteers, law enforcement personnel, political leaders, local businesses and restaurants, civic organizations and transportation partners, whose efforts combined to make the World Cup experience seamless for visitors.
"They end up being impressed by our authenticity," he said of the thousands of domestic and international visitors who have come to Kansas City. "They end up being impressed by our hospitality. What they really end up being blown away by is how well they were treated and how detailed every aspect of their visit was managed."
Clark Hunt, chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs, said the city has hosted major sports events before: AFC championship games, the World Series, MLB All-Star games. But nothing, he said, has compared to the World Cup.
He said the tournament gave Kansas City the chance to be spotlighted on the international stage, and the city seized its moment.
"We're going to be known for the ways that the community served as a host for the fans from across the country and internationally," he said. "We're going to be known for our Fan Fest, which I believe was one of the best across the venues in North America, and I think most importantly, we're going to be known for the enthusiasm that the fans who attended the games have shown and their memories of Kansas City."
Clark said he believes the U.S. will be eager to throw its hat in the ring to host the World Cup again in the future, and he hopes Kansas City will be part of that.
Kansas City is a finalist city in the bid for the 2031 Men's Rugby World Cup and part of a multi-country bid to host the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup.
