Suzanne Hogan

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. How did we land such a big event, and are we ready?

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.

Con el nuevo estadio innovador del KC Current, el fútbol soccer femenino se ha consolidado como una parte fundamental de la identidad de Kansas City. Es una de las razones principales por las que esta ciudad patrocinará la Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026 y por la que Estados Unidos es tomada en serio en el fútbol soccer. Pero tras siglos de prejuicios, financiación desigual y prohibiciones directas, los aficionados no dan por sentado este dominio.

With the Current’s trailblazing stadium, women’s soccer staked its claim as a vital part of Kansas City’s local identity. The women’s game is a central reason why this city will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and why the United States gets taken seriously in soccer at all. But after more than a century of prejudice, unequal funding and outright bans, fans don't take this dominance for granted. KCUR’s Suzanne Hogan brings us the third installment of our mini-series on Kansas City’s soccer history.

With the trailblazing Current stadium, women's soccer staked its claim as a vital part of Kansas City’s identity. It's a central reason why this city will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and why the United States gets taken seriously in soccer at all. But after centuries of prejudice, unequal funding and outright bans, fans don't take this dominance for granted.

As 2025 nears its end, we’re catching up on the biggest stories we reported this year. It was a hard year for federal workers in Kansas City, who weathered mass layoffs and the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Hear how that impacted workers' jobs and mental health.

A major tax incentive package approved by Kansas lawmakers will help the Chiefs build a new $3 billion domed stadium in Wyandotte County. Plus: A Classical KC contributor shares memories from Christmases past.

This year saw the formation of the Kansas City area's first Women’s Pinball League. At 403 Club, in Kansas City, Kansas, beginners and pros of all ages and walks of life gather each Thursday for slap-saves, snacks and sisterhood.

Since 1956, Leila Cohoon had amassed the world’s largest collection of hair art and jewelry — intricate works made of human hair. Her museum in Independence, Missouri, was the only one of its kind. But when Cohoon died last year, the future of this Kansas City institution — and the unusual tradition it preserved — was suddenly an open question. Suzanne Hogan speaks to KCUR’s Julie Denesha to find the answer.

Next year, Kansas City’s only drinking water treatment plant will celebrate its 100th birthday. It’s a milestone worth applauding, for sure, but it’s also a reminder that the city has only one place where it makes clean water.