Kansas City will host six FIFA World Cup soccer matches in the summer of 2026. This is the first time Kansas City will hold a global sporting event of this scale, with about 650,000 people expected to come into town for the games.
What is the World Cup?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a 104-game tournament featuring 48 competing countries. It will kick off June 11, 2026, at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, last 39 days and take place across 16 North American cities. Kansas City is the smallest city to host games. The World Cup final will be held at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19, 2026.
Can I still get tickets to World Cup games?
Yes, but ticketing for all games — including the ones in Kansas City — happens in phases through a lottery draw system. For access to all ticket sales, you’ll need to register a profile through FIFA’s website, fifa.com.
So what will happen in Kansas City?
Kansas City will host six matches at GEHA Arrowhead Stadium, which will be renamed Kansas City Stadium for the tournament: Tuesday, June 16; Saturday, June 20; Thursday, June 25; Saturday, June 27; Friday, July 3, 2026 (round of 32); and Saturday, July 11, (quarter-final).
We won’t know which teams will play in Kansas City until the draw on Dec. 5, 2025.
KC 2026 is also planning an elaborate Fan Fest experience on the lawn in front of the National WWI Museum and Memorial with a giant screen, stage and activities. You can expect to find watch parties and festivities at the Power & Light district and other sites across the city.
Plus, bars and restaurants in Kansas City will be able to stay open and serve alcohol from 6 a.m. to 5 a.m. (that’s 23 hours a day!) during the month of the World Cup thanks to a statewide exemption aimed at helping boost business. So if you want to watch a game broadcast in a totally different time zone, you’ll have a place to do that.
How will people get around Kansas City?
KC 2026 announced in March 2025 that they procured 200 extra buses to help with transportation by tapping into and expanding existing routes.
This will include routes to matches at Arrowhead Stadium, the airport, hotel centers and key destinations on both sides of the state line.
Why was Kansas City picked to host the World Cup?
Kansas City has a long history with soccer. Kansas City businessman Lamar Hunt, more famously known as the patriarch of the Chiefs, was instrumental in developing professional soccer leagues and attracting the country’s last FIFA World Cup, back in 1994.
Now Kansas City has a professional men’s MLS team, Sporting KC, and a women’s NWSL team, the Current.
For a longer version of this article and regular updates on the 2026 World Cup, visit kcur.com.
Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Quinton Lucas cheers alongside fans June 16, 2022, at Power & Light as news breaks that Kansas City will host during the 2026 World Cup.
