World Cup KC

Kansas City will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer, the smallest city in North America to join the festivities. Is the city equipped to handle the huge influx of tourists and their transportation and housing needs?

Kansas City is expecting 650,000 visitors next summer during the 2026 FIFA World Cup — more than the amount of people who live in the city. A leader of the KC2026 coalition says that preparations are already well underway for transportation and hosting both fans and teams.

Mayor Quinton Lucas told KCUR’s Up To Date that he’d like to find alternative ways to pay for the baseball team’s future stadium. “Why should every person in Jackson County pay a sales tax to support something that they may never use?” he asked.

The organization charged with planning for the FIFA World Cup in Kansas City has gone through some recent leadership changes. Pam Kramer, the newly selected CEO of KC2026, said that she's "confident that we'll be prepared."

Kansas City's mayor joined KCUR's Up To Date for a discussion about the future of sports in the metro — including the pressure around keeping the Chiefs and Royals, and chaos in the committee helping to organize the 2026 World Cup. But there's one thing Quinton Lucas isn't worried about: President Biden's ability to run for president.

The influx of soccer fans to Kansas City is expected to hike prices for short-term rentals, possibly pushing up rents and making permanent housing less affordable. But if Kansas City officials use the opportunity to invest in affordable housing, experts see a chance for long-term benefits.

A study by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority and the Mid-America Regional Council has recommended two new express bus routes — one in Johnson County and one in Kansas City, Missouri — to get people to and from the airport ahead of the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

While many Kansas Citians are focused on the Super Bowl, planning is underway for an even bigger event on the horizon: the 2026 World Cup. Six of those matches, including a quarterfinal, will be played in Kansas City.

Come summer of 2026, Kansas Citians will see an influx of tourists for six FIFA World Cup games scheduled to be played in the metro. Now that the city knows which games it's hosting, KC2026 can begin more detailed planning for the event, including how to address public transit needs.

FIFA officials announced Kansas City will host four matches in June 2026, and a knockout round and a quarterfinal in early July. Kansas City is one of 16 sites in North America to take part in hosting.

As Kansas City gears up for the 2026 World Cup, some residents are concerned that the metro’s public transit system can’t keep up with a rapidly growing city. KCATA CEO Frank White III speaks about how the transportation authority is preparing.

In its last legislative session of the term, the Kansas City Council passed pay raises for council members and the mayor, allocated millions of dollars for 2026 World Cup preparations and created a municipal ID program. The next time the body meets in August, it will welcome seven new faces.