The U.S. last hosted the FIFA World Cup just over thirty years ago, but for several of the 2026 World Cup host cities, this will be the first time that soccer's biggest show comes to town.
One of those new hosts is Kansas City.
Compared to some of the other U.S. host cities, Kansas City might not be as frequently visited or well-known by overseas travelers, but the city sees that as an advantage.
Kathy Nelson, head of Visit Kansas City, says that many international travelers would have already been to New York or Miami, and that the 2024 World Cup will take over Kansas City like nothing else.
Rather than soccer, the city is better known for American football and the four-time Superbowl winners Kansas City Chiefs, whose Arrowhead Stadium will be hosting the World Cup matches. The city has leaned into that sporting background with the Chiefs' star quarterback Patrick Mahomes serving as an honorary co-chair early on in the bid process and helping Kansas City tell its story.
Arrowhead itself is the fourth-largest stadium at the World Cup, but even this doesn't mean it reaches FIFA's strict requirements. The pitch needs widening with some seats needing to come out, VIP suites have to be upgraded, and "last mile" infrastructure such as turnstiles needs modifying.
Kansas City has hosted major soccer matches like Copa America before. It also could've used the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup as a dress rehearsal for 2026, but opted not to do this so that there's plenty of time for these stadium renovations.
The city is extending its streetcar network and has secured buses to transport fans from the city center and between the airport, key hotels and the fan festival. It has made plans for the numbers of drivers needed, their food and accommodation and which hours buses will be needed. All this involves coordination between authorities in Kansas and Missouri as the metropolitan area is partly in both states. The city has also been meeting with its chambers of commerce to understand what to expect from visitors from all corners of the planet.
But Nelson says the city is working to "not only delivery the mandatories for the World Cup, but also for the magic."
She says the city aims to show visitors its Midwest hospitality and how kind and fun the people there are, promoting the city's jazz music, barbecues and Route 66, the famous cross-country road that's celebrating its centenary in 2026.
Head of the tourism professionals' association Destinations International, Don Welsh, says some cities that have hosted World Cup games before "say it was the greatest investment we ever made," while other cities say "maybe it didn't provide the level of impact in terms of financial, economic, taxes, jobs as we expected."
Destinations International has an event impact calculator for its members to assess the viability of potential events, and Welsh says sports events have now overtaken meetings as the type of event its members are assessing, showing how sports can be an economic driver.
Welsh says that "it's pretty apparent" that host cities like Kansas City have the communications with FIFA in place and have a clear understanding of how they can maximize the promotional opportunities that the World Cup brings.
He added that it's not just about stadiums, and that other facilities will be used by teams to practice for games. These places, like a "world class athletic facility" in Overland Park, on the outskirts of Kansas City, will be their own sub-economic driver with nearby hotels and restaurants.
Kansas City hopes that its central location, not just east-west, but also north-south between the host cities in Mexico and Canada, can help it attract fans and persuade visitors to return in the future. With six matches in the city including a quarterfinal, it will certainly get its time in the spotlight in 2024.