U.S. soccer

Friday's game, the first of three group stage matches for the U.S., has been eight years in the making as a generation of players has reached their prime just in time for a World Cup on home soil.

The U.S. is opening its 2026 World Cup on Friday evening against Paraguay. For the 26 Americans on the team, this match is the culmination of years of hard work and training.

Todas las miradas están puestas en los partidos del Mundial que llegarán a Kansas City en menos de un mes, pero la autodenominada “Soccer City USA” también mira hacia 2031, con una candidatura para albergar partidos de la Copa Mundial Femenina.

Some veterans from the last World Cup — like forward Christian Pulisic and midfielders Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams — made the team. The roster includes 13 newcomers as well.

All eyes are on the World Cup games that will land in Kansas City in less than a month, but the self-described "Soccer City USA" also has its eyes on 2031, with a bid to host women's World Cup games.

Kansas City’s six World Cup matches are among dozens seeing significant resale ticket prices drops in the last month. One local reseller attributes the losses to fan frustration with FIFA’s new confusing “dynamic pricing” system and more matches this year than for previous tournaments.

Early in his career, while officiating youth soccer matches in Olathe, Kyle Atkins wanted to quit, but his dad didn’t let him walk away so easily. This summer, you’ll be able to see him on the pitch as an assistant referee during the 2026 FIFA World Cup — after he and his crew get motivated with music and dancing in the locker room.

In soccer, as with everything else, you can't escape the influence of Kansas City. Between this summer’s FIFA World Cup and the city possibly hosting the women's tournament in 2031, hopefully everyone else catches up to that fact too.

The two losses — 5-2 to Belgium and 2-0 to Portugal — were a wakeup call for the USMNT and the team's ambitions for this summer's World Cup. But the Americans said they welcomed the lessons learned.

KC2026 anunció los días de operación y detalles clave del FIFA Fan Festival Kansas City, la celebración gratuita en toda la ciudad planificada junto con la Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026.

With the Current’s trailblazing stadium, women’s soccer staked its claim as a vital part of Kansas City’s local identity. The women’s game is a central reason why this city will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and why the United States gets taken seriously in soccer at all. But after more than a century of prejudice, unequal funding and outright bans, fans don't take this dominance for granted. KCUR’s Suzanne Hogan brings us the third installment of our mini-series on Kansas City’s soccer history.

KC2026 announced operating days and key details for the FIFA Fan Festival Kansas City, the free, citywide celebration planned alongside the FIFA World Cup 2026.