England may have selected the smallest host city as their base for World Cup 2026. But they’ll be pleasantly surprised by the size of Kansas City’s heart.
The Three Lions have crossed the pond in search of ‘bringing it home’ and for most of their stay in the States, they’ll straddle Kansas and Missouri, despite not playing a group game in the Midwest.
Reigning world champions Argentina, footballing pioneers the Netherlands and African challengers Algeria are also dropping anchor and I have nothing but admiration after visiting this city that can chomp off more than it seems able to chew.
Kansas City evidently knew a Brit was stepping off the plane upon my arrival there, as I was greeted by spitting rain. But any glumness was quickly plastered over by the enthusiastically decorated airport terminal. World Cup 2026 was everywhere. You could not ignore the fact that some of the globe’s best footballers would soon be coming to town.
Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!
Only three years ago, Kansas City International Airport was demolished and completely rebuilt with the tournament in mind. Roughly $1.5billion was spent and it operates as smoothly as Kansas City jazz.
Beating out the likes of Denver, Orlando and Washington, D.C. to be a host city for this World Cup was quite the feat. Yet when you touch down, it’s clear to understand how this coup was pulled off.
“We’re used to being underestimated,” exclusively revealed Pam Kramer, CEO of KC2026. “People don’t know us as much as they know other places. “But we knew we could create an experience here, a welcoming experience, a place where the teams felt like we could contribute to their effort.
“We knew that we had the best facilities. We knew that our location was really favourable. They could fly to any city. Those three things together, I think we always knew that. So we’re used to people saying, ‘How did you do that?’
“But I think we were intentional about the effort. Maybe we just wanted it more. The opportunity might be bigger for us because we’re the smallest. The way that we welcome people, our hospitality, our way of life is different.
“We’re not trying to be anybody except Kansas City and I think we’ve got a tremendous surprise-and-delight factor that people may not know about us.
“Then, they get here and they are really blown away by not only hospitality, but the quality of our restaurants and our museums, our art museums, our culture, the sports culture is so deeply embedded here. There’s no place like Kansas City to watch sports.”
KC is indeed unique in its sporting culture. Their Kansas City Chiefs are no doubt the area’s darling, but the MLS’s Sporting KC and NWSL’s KC Current are among some of the best-supported football sides in the country.
In fact, this city is the only one in the US to have a dedicated stadium for both its top-tier women’s and men’s teams. Locals told me numerous times that they like to think of themselves as living in the Soccer Capital of America.
Kansas City Stadium will play host to some of the World Cup’s leading lights, with Lionel Messi the standout. But in a show of faith in the city’s ability to get up for football, a 25,000-capacity FIFA Fan Festival will also be on offer.
This fan zone is free to the public with general entry tickets and it will be open for 18 days throughout the tournament. Musical guests will grace its stage, dozens of local food vendors will showcase their culinary exploits and the city’s improved transport links connect it.
For the competition, the free-to-use KC Streetcar, which operates like a tram, has been extended and it works like a treat. The city has also endeavoured tirelessly to secure a dedicated fleet of motorcoaches.
Issues surrounding transport were raised before this World Cup, with Kansas City Stadium located around 10 miles outside the city and parking spaces there cut from 20,000 to just 3,000.
But these coaches will help ferry people from the airport to the city and from the city to the ground. We took a look inside them and they are cold, clean, and will certainly help quell any concerns about transport chaos.
Away from logistics, Kansas City is simply a place that will thrive once the world arrives. The people are warm, the barbecue is as delicious as one would expect and the atmosphere feels genuinely as though they care, where larger cities might not.
Matt Besler, who played nearly 350 games for Sporting KC and represented the US Men’s National Team, exclusively said: “I can’t wait. Kansas City deserves this opportunity. We’re ready. Kansas City is a very underrated city. Not many people know a lot about Kansas City. But everyone who comes and visits, they’re surprised and they end up falling in love with it.
“From a soccer perspective, I also think we’re one of the best cities to host in our country. We just have a lot of pride and we’re proud of who we are and we’re very welcoming.
“I would agree that we’ve always had to punch above our weight. But I think that’s what makes us special. We’re comfortable in that role and have a lot of experience doing it.
“You know, we’re smaller than some of the bigger cities and we’re the smallest host city. But I think we can use that to our advantage, because we’re able to feel like we’re all in it together, instead of being segmented throughout the city. We unite, and we really come together. We work together.”
Talk can be cheap when it comes to how well a city in the States really backs football, or as they so toe-curlingly call it, soccer. But I saw their support in full force during a watch party for Arsenal’s Champions League final against PSG.
Around 400 Kansas City Gooners packed into a sports bar at 10am to watch their team take the defending champions to the wire. Their fandom was not the ‘go team’ one could stereotypically expect from America. There was effing and blinding and the odd tear was shed.
“I think we celebrate sports the same way that the English do, right?” added CEO Kramer, who also encouraged English supporters who may be thinking of stopping in Kansas City to do so. “We understand the passion and we love to celebrate together. So we can’t wait to celebrate tradition. Following the team.”
From the airport to downtown, to the bustling Power and Light District and the bushy suburb of Prairie Village, where England will call home, I never once felt like a tourist in Kansas City. The area is much more than a Wizard of Oz trope.
This Midwestern sprawl made me feel welcome in all the right ways and I have no doubt Thomas Tuchel’s squad will feel the same. Everyone loves an underdog, but Kansas City’s bark as a host city is just as big as its bite.
For details on KC2026, Kansas City’s FIFA World Cup 2026™ Host City plans, and resources to plan your trip this summer, visit KC2026.com.
