World Cup

The World Cup brought new investments, infrastructure improvements and business opportunities to Kansas City. Months after the tournament ended, some of those changes are here to stay, while others have already disappeared.

The World Cup gave Kansas City a deadline to make changes, an opportunity to experiment and a reason to invest. Now the city has to show which of those efforts will benefit residents beyond the tournament.

VisitKC released a report on the impact of the World Cup, which brought about 680,000 visitors. But with fewer long-term and international guests than expected, it didn’t bring in as much money as the agency originally estimated.

Owner John Scott now says Kansas City’s Green Lady Lounge hopes to reopen before the end of the year, possibly as early as December 1.

One sports market analyst said he was surprised that the FIFA World Cup, for which Kansas City was a host city in June and July, didn't drive more wagers.

After a successful summer hosting Algeria during the World Cup, KU’s athletics department has been hustling to get ready for the Union Jack Classic. It's the first-ever college football game at the legendary Wembley Stadium, and required shipping equipment and band instruments over on a boat.

Kansas City's World Cup co-hosting duties didn’t just impact the state on an economic level — local and professional soccer clubs across the state felt the energy from the global tournament, too.

The total amount wagered in June was $258.3 million, a 0.8% increase from May. Almost all sports bets were made on mobile betting sites, accounting for 99.5% of all money wagered.

Capitalizing on the World Cup, the Kansas City Indian Center put out even more billboards this year calling on the Kansas City Chiefs to change their name and stop stereotypical practices like the “tomahawk chop.” Activists argue that the move to a new stadium is the perfect opportunity to address the longstanding complaints.

Organizers of a "Thank You Lawrence" party say they hope for annual celebrations after the city hosted the Algerian men's national soccer team during the FIFA World Cup this summer.

World Cup fever has reignited former high school athletes' interest in playing soccer themselves.

The World Cup has come and gone in Kansas City. What could the city's success as a host city mean for future events?