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.
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
A People's History of Kansas City: How we became a soccer city
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FIFA has always had a peculiar way to sell tickets to the World Cup. It never faced any major issues — until prices soared for the 2026 tournament. -
There's a major reason Kansas City, its surrounding suburbs, two states, and a whole lot of corporate sponsors and local organizations put so much money and time into the World Cup. Organizers see this as their chance to "change the way the world thinks about Kansas City." -
This week, FIFA finalized the list of where competitors will train during the tournament. Four of those countries will make their homes in the Kansas City region. Here's a breakdown of the U.S. cities that are included. -
Kansas City’s efforts to host the World Cup go back all the way to 1988. Now the tournament is finally here, after four years of preparations that not only reshaped the metro’s infrastructure, but also solidified its identity as a true soccer city. -
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. -
World Cup visitors and locals can still get free tickets for the Fan Festival, which will host performances and a giant watch party to see the tournament matches.
