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That’s a wrap on Kansas City’s role as a World Cup host city. Class of 2026, we graduated.
This tournament wasn’t without its hard lessons, and there should be plenty of time to honestly grade organizers, lawmakers and our infrastructure on their performances — especially if city leaders hope to do this again in 2031.
After years of studying, though, we got through the final exam. I’m sure for everyone, that’s a relief.
If Kansas City had a yearbook looking back on the summer, what would it say? I think we’ve earned a “HAGS,” at the very least.
The staff of KCUR have been hitting the pavement over the past year to keep up with everything happening in Kansas City. So I asked them — along with newsletter readers and the incredible University of Kansas student journalists who’ve been helping us cover Lawrence — to help me fill this yearbook with their favorite moments of joy and human connection from the tournament.
Here’s (some of) what I heard.
“Going to Fan Fest for Ecuador's banderazo, and then attending the Ecuador vs. Curaçao game with my family (on my birthday!) was so special for me,” said Suzanne Hogan, co-host of A People’s History of Kansas City. “My grandma was from Ecuador so it was a really exciting way for us to celebrate our culture.”
“Seeing the excitement from all visiting fans, but especially those from Curaçao,” Up To Date producer Halle Jackson said. “Being in the crowd at Fan Fest as Raey, an artist from the island, took the stage to hype fans up before the match was really special.”
“My best World Cup experiences were all spent with fans of ‘La Tri,’ the nickname for Ecuador’s national team,” education reporter Jodi Fortino wrote. “They welcomed me onto a bus to tour spots around Kansas City and into their families to watch the match against Curaçao, teaching me how to not let a disappointing outcome keep you from partying. They also added another dish to my food bucket list: encebollado, an albacore fish soup to help cure hangovers.”
“Going to the pep rally event hosted by Ghana fans here in Kansas City,” solutions reporter Brandon Azim said. “Though I visited the country to learn about its beautiful landscape and history, one thing I regret I missed was its sports culture.”
“I loved partying and celebrating with Colombian fans during the Colombia vs. Ghana match,” race and culture reporter Celisa Calacal said. “The watch party, at a Colombian restaurant in North Kansas City, was so lively — it didn't even matter that it was so hot and humid that night, getting to hear from fans about how the watch party felt like a little slice of their home and culture absolutely warmed my heart.”
“Sharing our local food and traditions and welcoming visitors from other countries was the highlight for me,” local government reporter Savannah Hawley-Bates said. “Seeing Kansas City and Lawrence on the world stage, and how much people loved them, made me so happy. Rock Chalk Algeria!”
“Seeing downtown Lawrence flood the streets with all things green for the Algeria vs. Austria match was unmatched,” summer intern Cassandra Isobelle Flores added. “Every goal from Algeria was met with a cheer that echoed across Massachusetts Street — I couldn’t help but get swept up in the adrenaline, too!”
“My moment of joy in this World Cup was pressing up against the barricade with the Algerian fans as they welcomed the team back to the Double Tree in Lawrence from their tie with Austria at Arrowhead Stadium,” KU student journalist Chihiro Kai said.
“Meeting bleary-eyed but pumped-up Algerian fans who'd found a Lenexa bakery online in the early hours of their overnight drives from Philly, Boston, LA,” community engagement editor Laura Ziegler said. “They said they knew they were underdogs but they didn't care if they won or lost.”
“My moment of joy was seeing the world’s positive response to Lawrence-based artist Stan Herd’s Algerian flag installation on the lawn adjacent to the Lied Center. The Algerian flag, made of native Kansan materials, waved in the wind as a beautiful symbolic representation of friendship and community,” KU student journalist Venus Beland said. “It made me feel proud to be a Kansan.”
“Watching (Erling) Haaland hit the drum and the Norwegian players and fans do the ‘Viking Row’ following their July 5 win is my favorite single piece of television viewing during the World Cup games,” reader Karen from Liberty contributed. “And that Haaland looks so much like a joyous Viking doing it brought a big grin to my face.”
“The sheer size of the Oranje Fan Walk through downtown blew me away,” KCUR Studios intern Seth Jahraus said. “But my favorite part was the Tunisia fans walking along the sea of orange with smiles across their faces, despite being eliminated from the tournament.”
“This ecstatic young kid in a (Lionel) Messi jersey hopping up and down at Fan Fest after Argentina beat Algeria,” national reporter Frank Morris wrote. “The whole family was beaming, in all the way from Nicaragua just so this 12-year-old kid could be in the same town where his hero was playing. I asked where they were staying, and they said they were starting the trip back to Nicaragua that night, and they were still smiling.”
“Ditching out of the KCUR van to walk to the stadium during the first game's traffic jams was frustrating, but also turned out to be one of the most fun things I did during the tournament,” audience engagement strategist Zach Perez said. “It was kind of heartwarming seeing fans build a sense of camaraderie as they shared in the experience of making the long hike through packed streets in bad heat. It made getting to the stadium feel all the more exciting.”
“As the daughter of Myanmar immigrants, watching hundreds of local Algerian fans fill the stands of Rock Chalk Park instantly hit home,” KU student journalist Naomi Sui Pang said. “When I interviewed Tarek Bouzidi, who brought his family just to get a glimpse of their team, with a slight language barrier between us, he beautifully captured how the miles between Kansas and his homeland disappeared: ‘You feel like you are in your country exactly.’”
Personally, I’m still thinking about the slow, crowded walk from the Arrowhead parking lot into the stadium before the Ecuador-Curaçao match. Being surrounded by thousands of singing fans, despite — or maybe because of — the sun beating down on our heads.
Nowhere to go but through, nothing to do but join together in song.
Root, root, root for the home team: Your World Cup score updates
We always knew it was a possibility, but now we can say so for sure: A team based in Kansas City will be competing in the 2026 World Cup final.
Exactly which one will be decided at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15, in Atlanta, where Argentina and England face off in the second of two semifinal matches.
Both teams made it by the skin of their teeth, and both with refereeing controversies. England, who last claimed a World Cup title back in 1966 (and has been staying in Prairie Village for the tournament), won 2-1 in extra time thanks to two goals from Jude Bellingham.
- Controversy: Norway’s team complained that their keeper’s punted soccer ball hit a sky cam wire before dropping in front of an English player, who quickly turned around for England’s first goal. FIFA said its data showed “no evidence” that there was contact and the goal could stand.
Argentina also prevailed in extra time, defeating Switzerland 3-1 at Kansas City Stadium on Saturday in a rare game without a Lionel Messi goal.
- Controversy: The Swiss team had to play a man down after forward Breel Embolo was hit with a yellow card — his second, which meant a red card ejection — because video review showed he had faked a fall. It really cemented VAR’s reputation as one of the biggest villains of this tournament (second only to FIFA itself).
The winner of the Argentina-England match will head to the final against Spain, who dominated France in a 2-0 win Tuesday. (Spain’s only World Cup win was in 2010 in South Africa.) Tune in for the 2026 World Cup’s epic finale at 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 19 in New Jersey.
The day before, the loser will face France for the third-place prize. See that match at 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 18.
Kansas City crews waste no time cleaning up Fan Fest after final match
The Fan Festival was packed to the brim Saturday for its final day, to celebrate Kansas City’s final World Cup match — a quarterfinal that saw Argentina defeating Switzerland, 3-1, in extra time.
Aime Adogabro, a native of Argentina whose husband is from Kansas City, said immediately after the match that she was about to cry — but for a good reason.
"It's unbelievable," she said from the Fan Fest grounds. "I'm so happy that all these things are happening here because I consider Kansas City my second home, my home away from home."
Marcus Bowman traveled from Pensacola, Florida, for the festival. He had high praise for Kansas City International Airport, the streetcar and local restaurants for their embrace of the tournament and its teams.
"It's just so cool how serious Kansas City has taken the World Cup," he said.
Read the dispatch from KCUR’s crew of Brandon Azim, Noah Taborda, Chihiro Kai and Emily Younker.
By the next morning, workers in trucks, carts and forklifts were buzzing around the festival grounds. After more than a month of traffic blockades and bus diversions, Kansas City expects everything to be back to normal by July 24.
A huge law enforcement presence, which included police from 11 states supplementing Kansas City's 1,100 officers, apparently kept the festivities quite peaceful. The KCPD said it made only eight arrests during the entire event: three at Arrowhead Stadium and five at Fan Fest.
KCUR’s Sam Zeff reports on how World Cup cleanup is going.
Kansas City’s mayor says city ‘knocked it out of the park’ as a host. Sports leaders agree
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas told KCUR's Up To Date that he believes the metro was an excellent host to the hundreds of thousands of visitors during the World Cup — even though not everything went perfectly, from transit snaggles to small business sales.
“I think it’s a nine out of 10 at least in terms of, 'Did we hit our goals to brand Kansas City, to build something really memorable?' And we sure did,” Lucas said.
Lucas hopes that the success of the ConnectKC26 shuttles will push local lawmakers to pursue regional transit funding. And he’s also intent on keeping that heart gateway at the FIFA Fan Festival, saying that officials are looking to secure funding needed to purchase and adapt the temporary structure.
"And actually, not unlike the shuttlecocks on the Nelson Lawn, it does a good job of relating to and framing the Liberty Memorial behind it,” Lucas said.
Hear Up To Date’s full debrief with Lucas about the World Cup.
Kansas City Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt and Sporting KC owner Cliff Illig — who were instrumental in snagging the tournament — say the summer was a successful audition for future events like the 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup.
"We're going to be known for our Fan Fest, which I believe was one of the best across the venues in North America,” Hunt said, “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."
KCUR’s Cassandra Isobelle Flores and Emily Younker report.
Can KU attract more international students after its World Cup success?
The University of Kansas is already the Big 12 Conference’s most valuable athletic brand at $620 million, according to a 2025 CNBC report. That figure puts the school at 39th in the country, still trailing the University of Missouri.
Now, the KU enrollment team is already looking to capitalize on the success of its World Cup hosting stint, exploring how to recruit students from Algeria and Northern Africa now that the brand has established a foothold there.
“When you have an international team that says your facilities are amazing when you’re already talking to potential soccer recruits, that makes an impact,” Deputy Athletics Director Jason Booker said.
For KCUR, Venus Beland has this story.
Kickin’ the ball around Kansas City
- Best host, confirmed: Kansas City stood shoulder-to-shoulder with New York, LA and every other World Cup host city, according to the New York Times. Because here, “everyone is rooting for everyone else.” (The New York Times)
- Friends with 10: Argentina star Lionel Messi sent a signed jersey to Christian, a patient at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City who was recovering from a burn injury. “And there's even more good news: Christian got the green light to go home,” the hospital announced. (Children’s Mercy)
- Pulling for the lads: England’s deep World Cup run has been energizing Prairie Village, where the team has stayed during the tournament, with English flags and yard signs popping up around the area. (Johnson County Post)
- Don’t do that: A man was arrested at the English national team’s media center near Swope Park armed with an apparent tire iron. He did not appear to have violent intentions, KCPD said, and English players and staff hadn’t arrived yet. (The Kansas City Star)
- Walking soccer: Inspired by the World Cup, a group of Lawrence residents 50 and older have been lacing up their shoes and heading weekly to the Sports Pavilion at Rock Chalk Park for a slowed-down version of soccer. (KCUR)
- Getting those gains: In-person spending in World Cup host cities rose 5% from June 10 to July 5 compared to the year before, according to the Bank of America Institute. Kansas City led the way, with hotels bringing in significantly more revenue — especially in the knockout stages when visitors made last-minute travel plans. (CNBC)
- But no boost for Troost: Restaurants, coffee shops and other businesses on Troost Avenue weren’t disappointed by World Cup traffic, only because they didn’t expect much, since the avenue is not well connected to any of the core tournament activities. (The Beacon)
- The pitch isn’t the best place to find a singer so the hotel is where he goes: Ed Sheeran quietly visited Prairie Village’s Inn at Meadowbrook to play a private performance for the English men’s national team. (The Kansas City Star)
- Fly with me: Kansas City International Airport had its busiest day for outbound traffic on Sunday, with 24,266 travelers going through security the day after the city’s final World Cup match. (KCI on X)
- ICE ramps up: Kansas City saw at least 30 immigrants arrested during the World Cup, between June 15 and July 3, as the Trump administration ramped up deportation efforts. (KCUR)
Kickin’ the ball around the continent
- Round of 64? After this year’s tournament expanded to a record 48 teams, FIFA head Gianni Infantino has floated the idea of adding another 16 teams before the 2030 World Cup. That one will be held in six different countries across three continents. (The Athletic)
- I want to hear those Club classics: After the commercial success of this tournament, the U.S. is talking with FIFA about hosting the 2029 Club World Cup, which features existing league teams from around the globe rather than national teams. (The Guardian)
- El Pibe: They’re the returning champions. The top ranked team. A “hometown” favorite of Kansas City. But to the rest of the globe, is Argentina the most hated team? (New York Magazine)
- Uneven benefits: One neighbor to Seattle’s World Cup stadium, the city’s Chinatown-International District, had a particularly bad summer for business. Owners say the city didn’t do enough to market the area to visiting fans, and didn’t do enough to solve homelessness and drug issues. (KUOW)
- StubHubSnub, cont: Two World Cup customers from California sued StubHub over “false and misleading” advertising that suddenly left them without tickets or a refund for matches they paid for. They’re aiming to make it a class-action lawsuit. (Los Angeles Times)
- Oops, FIFA did it again: From the Trump Peace Prize to “VARgentina,” these are the biggest controversies of the 2026 World Cup. (The Athletic)
- ‘Sportwashing’? Protesters in Los Angeles have taken aim at World Cup sponsors like Home Depot and fossil fuel giant Aramco, saying they betrayed the city’s values and demanding more accountability. (LAist)
- Launder day: The FBI is investigating why the Argentine Football Association has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Miami companies and banks. (Miami Herald)
- Don’t bet against Paul: Aquariums and zoos love to embrace the PR potential of an animal with the ability to predict World Cup matches — but nobody was as good as Paul the Octopus. A resident of the Oberhausen, Germany, aquarium, Paul correctly guessed eight out of eight matches during the 2010 tournament. (The Athletic)
- Follow the money: FIFA, technically a nonprofit, claims it invests most of its money back in the development of soccer globally. But where does all that money come from? Exactly how much is there? And where, specifically, does it go? (The Athletic)
- Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Ahead of the final World Cup match this Sunday, FIFA’s closing ceremony will feature the U.S. national anthem delivered by Jennifer Hudson, performances by Nicole Scherzinger and Robbie Williams, and an appearance by… Tom Cruise? Hell yeah. (FIFA)
