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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Three of the world’s best teams — Argentina, England and Netherlands — are reportedly interested in making Kansas City their training home during the World Cup. Organizers say local businesses should start planning to make the most of 650,000 expected visitors. -
The campaign is designed to welcome both domestic and international visitors hoping to travel to Kansas City to root for their teams from the stands. Columbia hopes its businesses will "adopt a team" and host watch parties during the summer event. -
Kansas City and other World Cup host cities are eagerly waiting to learn where teams will set up their base camps for the 2026 tournament. The locations would serve as a place where teams can practice and train. -
The FIFA President addressed outrage over ticket prices for the World Cup, which will include six games in Kansas City, by pointing to record demand and reiterating that most of the proceeds will help support soccer around the world. -
The Current and developers of a $1 billion entertainment and residential district near CPKC Stadium said Friday they'll have "core elements" open before the 2026 World Cup soccer tournament comes to Kansas City. -
FIFA said it would sell $60 tickets to the World Cup, including for the final. However, only for supporters of qualified teams can get them. And the actual number of available tickets is limited.
