Kansas City Named a 2026 FIFA World Cup Host City
It’s official: The Soccer Capital of America will welcome the beautiful game on the world's largest stage.
On June 16, FIFA announced the 16 cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico selected to host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Kansas City making the cut.
Now, the world will be introduced to the Heart of America. Here’s what KC has in store as it prepares to take the global soccer stage.
Matches will, fittingly, be played at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. In addition to delivering a world-class gameday experience, the Kansas City Chiefs’ owners hold a significant place in U.S. soccer history. The late Lamar Hunt was a founding investor in Major League Soccer.
MLS was established in alignment with the 1994 FIFA World Cup, also hosted in the United States, with Hunt owning two founding teams: the Kansas City Wiz (later renamed the Kansas City Wizards and now known as Sporting Kansas City) and Columbus Crew.
State-of-the-art facilities reinforce KC’s standout soccer status, from Children’s Mercy Park—which has hosted more U.S. Men’s National Team matches than any other venue since the stadium opened in 2011—to the Compass Minerals National Performance Center.
Preview a few more only-in-KC experiences that will await fans by the time the World Cup arrives in 2026:
A new home for the Kansas City Current (and a national first for soccer stadiums) along KC’s beautiful Berkley Riverfront.
Fan fests set among some of Kansas City’s most iconic spaces, like the National WWI Museum and Memorial, Union Station, and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
An expanded KC Streetcar line, carrying soccer fans to Midtown, Westport and the Country Club Plaza.
And a brand new single terminal at Kansas City International Airport to greet travelers upon their arrival in the City of Fountains.