Kansas City beats the odds to become a US host for the 2026 World Cup

Kansas City, Missouri, has long been dismissed as 'flyover country' — a place travelers pass over on their way to more famous destinations. But this summer, the sports world will focus on this Midwestern city alongside hundreds of thousands of soccer fans.

Arrowhead Stadium, with a capacity of 76,000 seats and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, will host six World Cup matches, potentially including a quarterfinal between Argentina and Portugal, expected to feature Lionel Messi against Cristiano Ronaldo.

According to the 2020 census, Kansas City is the 37th most populous city in the US, while most other host cities rank in the top 10. Initially, a list of potential hosts in 2017 included 37 stadiums across 34 cities, such as Chicago, Detroit, Orlando, and Washington DC — all of which had hosted the 1994 World Cup. Ultimately, all four were eliminated, and on June 16, 2022, Kansas City became a World Cup city.

'That’s a big gap, and most of the cities in between are bidding cities,' Alan Dietrich, chief operating officer of MLS club Sporting Kansas City, told Al Jazeera.

'Crazy' strategy to win hosting rights

In 2013, Kansas City declared itself the 'Soccer Capital of America,' a trademarked slogan. The city has invested over $650 million in stadiums and training facilities. Although the World Cup was a gamble, the local organizing committee pulled out all the stops to impress.

When FIFA officials arrived at the city’s aging airport late at night, 'we had a group of volunteers from Sporting Kansas City walking around, making it look lively and bustling,' Dietrich recalled. On the way downtown, drivers deliberately took the guests past the new airport under construction. Hotel rooms were chosen to overlook a large billboard reading 'We Want The Cup.' Outside the hotel, impromptu pickup soccer games broke out.

'They would smile and nod when they saw it,' Jake Reid, vice president of the local organizing committee and president of Sporting KC, told Al Jazeera. 'But I think our efforts made an impression.'

FIFA officials extended their stay to attend a U.S. women’s national team match. They left at 6 a.m. 'The next city forgot to greet them, and they had to wait three hours at the airport,' Dietrich revealed. 'We went to great lengths to stage everything, and another city didn’t even bother to pick them up. That helped. But we still thought we had only a 50-50 chance.'

Kansas City turned its weaknesses into strengths. Its 'middle of nowhere' location became the 'geographic center,' making air travel easy. Long driving distances were offset by 'zero traffic,' Reid said. 'Our traffic ranking is dead last. We flipped the script. From the airport to Arrowhead takes 22 minutes.'

Reid explained that a city with the then-32nd-ranked Designated Market Area was considered a 'small market, big region.' Kansas City’s population is 508,000, with a metropolitan area of 2.2 million. Like Chiefs and Royals fans, World Cup supporters could come from a three-hour driving radius — from Omaha, Springfield, and nearby areas.

'The standout factor is that we wanted it more,' Reid said. 'For New York, Boston, it’s a routine. They say we’re a big market, events come here. We didn’t take this for granted and had to give it our all.'

'Magical moments' and team bases

After last year’s final draw, Kansas City scored another surprise when Argentina, England, and the Netherlands chose the city as their base, while Algeria picked nearby Lawrence. To lure England, Kansas City hosted a 'giant barbecue party' in the Power & Light district. England manager Thomas Tuchel asked if the organizers were 'fully committed' and proposed getting matching tattoos if they won. 'I have three kids and they all have tattoos, but I’m ready for a new one,' Dietrich said.

Kansas City emphasized 'magical moments' to break the monotony. They sat down with Argentine representatives at Fiorella's Jack Stack barbecue, recounting local lore: from Jesse James, the free jazz era, to the origins of barbecue and the specialty 'burnt ends.'

For Algeria, Kansas City tailored its pitch to the quiet space of Lawrence, while meeting halal food requirements from three different suppliers. Lawrence is a college town of about 100,000 people, but Algerians could also connect with its history of freedom struggles, once a battleground for the anti-slavery 'Bleeding Kansas' movement from 1854 to 1859.

'Soccer Capital of America'

Regional soccer history began in the 19th century when the Santa Fe Railroad formed a team in Topeka, Kansas, in the 1880s. After the 1966 World Cup, the Kansas City Spurs debuted, playing against Pelé’s Santos (losing 4-1) before 19,296 fans in 1968, and winning the NASL title in 1969.

The indoor soccer era arrived with the Kansas City Comets (1979-91), drawing larger crowds than the city’s NBA and NHL teams at the time. Goalkeeper Alan Mayer recalled: 'Each year I did 300 school talks about soccer.'

When the 1994 World Cup came around, Lamar Hunt proposed Arrowhead as a venue, but FIFA passed. Still, Hunt founded the KC Wizards (later renamed Sporting Kansas City), winning the MLS Cup in 2000 and 2013. The women’s team Kansas City Current was founded in 2021 and plays at CPKC Stadium (11,500 seats).

'I didn’t think we’d host a World Cup; it seemed out of reach,' Mayer said. 'When I came to Kansas City in the mid-80s, there was no MLS. The difference between then and now is astronomical. I don’t think the public understands how this will affect the economy and Kansas City’s image before the world.'