Kansas City will host six FIFA World Cup matches in the summer of 2026. Whether you’re a local or among the hundreds of thousands of people expected to travel in, KCUR put together a guide to the games, how to get tickets and what's happening in town.
A People's History of Kansas City: How we became a soccer city
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Courtesy of Jim Portuguez / Crysta Henthorne KCUR 89.3Kansas City may not have embraced soccer at all if not for the efforts of early immigrants who fought for the beautiful game — before there were even dedicated fields to play on. (En español.) -
Missouri Valley Room / Kansas City Public Library/ Crysta Henthorne/KCUR 89.3The founder of the Chiefs, Lamar Hunt, was a steadfast believer in soccer, from the failed attempts at a national league, through the creation of MLS and the very first U.S. soccer stadium. (En español.)
Leading up to the 2026 World Cup, KCUR's podcast A People's History of Kansas City is exploring how we became a soccer city. This project is in collaboration with the Great Game Lab at Arizona State University, which explores how sport connects us to the rest of the world, and the Us@250 Initiative at New America.
If you know about a local champion of soccer in Kansas City who helped bring the city to this extraordinary moment, email us at peopleshistorykc@kcur.org
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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. -
The influx of people could mean a greater chance of disease spreading. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment will have training, reporting and testing information for diseases and travel health notices. -
The Argentina national team announced it will use the Kansas City area as a base camp for this summer's World Cup, in addition to playing a match here. That's thrilling to Claudia Luna West, owner of Buenos Aires Restaurant in downtown Shawnee. -
Kansas City will be the center of the world this summer. Subscribe to our new World Cup KC email for biweekly updates about how the region is handling the largest event in our history. -
The Netherlands are the third World Cup country to pick Kansas City as its home base this summer. The Dutch men's national team will play a group stage match at Arrowhead Stadium in June. -
Two more teams can still make their home in and around Kansas City for the upcoming tournament, with training sites in Lawrence and Riverside still available.
