World Cup KC

Spanish is the first language used in many of the restaurants along Independence Avenue in Northeast Kansas City. The language fluency may be one of their biggest draws as visitors from Mexico, South and Central America come to town for World Cup games.

Historic Northeast Kansas City has undergone significant renovation featuring new shops and restaurants. But some small business owners don't think the city's promoting them — and World Cup visitors won't know they exist.

Get to know Kansas City's neighborhoods and its local artists by exploring our many nighttime art walks and pop-ups — from First Fridays and special World Cup night markets in the Crossroads to Third Fridays on Strawberry Hill.

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.

Lawrence will serve as the base camp for Team Algeria during next month’s World Cup. With the Trump administration restricting travel for Algerians, and reports that Kansas City hotel bookings lag far behind tourism projections, organizers are planning for a variety of outcomes.

Kansas City Manager Mario Vasquez will celebrate one year in office this week as city hall makes its final preparations for the 2026 World Cup. He joined KCUR’s Up To Date to discuss next month’s tournament and tourism concerns, along with his perspective on the Royals’ plans to build a Crown Center ballpark.

Nearly 90% of Kansas City hotels surveyed reported that bookings were running below projections — worse than any other host city, and with only weeks to go before the World Cup.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was one of the last teams to qualify for the World Cup, will face Panama on June 6 at Energizer Park. St. Louis is home to more than 60,000 Bosnians, making it one of the largest communities outside of the country of Bosnia.

An influx of visitors from countries where tipping isn’t a cultural norm could mean a pay cut for some Kansas City hospitality workers. Several restaurants are adding auto-gratuity to be safe, but many in hotspots like Westport and Power & Light are waiting to see what happens.

You've decided to give the World Cup a watch, just to see what the rest of the planet is so mad for. Even if you played soccer as a kid, there's a lot that's said during the course of a game that may have you scratching your head. We've got you covered.

Some fans in the U.S. and around the world are unhappy with World Cup ticket prices — and U.S. immigration policies. So they're deciding not to come, raising concerns across the travel industry.

The International Football Association Board approved a rule that would penalize players with a red card if they cover their mouths when confronting another player. The measure will be in place at this summer's World Cup.