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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Just weeks before thousands of fans from around the world celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the lawn of the National WWI Museum and Memorial, local organizers and security partners gathered there to practice responding to emergencies. -
It's not just Kansas City's airport that expects to see an influx of visitors for this summer's World Cup. St. Louis also expects to field travelers, who will then need to trek across the state by car, Amtrak or bus. -
Creators of the iconic Kansas City brand will sell T-shirts, hoodies and other locally-branded accessories. A soft launch of the pop-up store at the Overland Park, Kansas, mall will take place in May. -
Events are planned throughout the tournament, featuring watch parties, live music, and cultural programs. Partnerships include the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and American Jazz Museum. -
St. Louis will give soccer fans the chance Friday to get an up-close look at the FIFA World Cup trophy, ahead of the tournament's kickoff in June. The trophy tour visits Kansas City's Power & Light District over the weekend. -
World Cup travelers and residents of the region can register to attend free performances from national touring artists and some of the city’s best local entertainers.
