Opening Copa America match previews what World Cup will bring to Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - Kansas City got a taste of the fan fever the World Cup will bring to the Midwest in 2026 when Children’s Mercy Park hosted the Copa America game between Canada and Peru on Tuesday.

Alex Quia Ojeda studies at the University of Maryland, but his family lives in Peru. His father and grandfather flew up to Maryland, and then the trio drove 15 hours to Kansas City for the game.

“I haven’t seen them in three years,” Ojeda said of his father and grandfather. “As soon as I found out they’re gonna be here I had to make that 15-hour drive – don’t matter.”

Many Peruvian fans arrived in Kansas City a few days before the game. Hundreds of them showed up at their team’s hotel near the Plaza, and held a rally known as a “Banderazo.”

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Peruvian fans like Washington Lopez said it’s their way of letting their national team know – they are here, they have their .

“It’s a beautiful sentiment, because you know all of your force – let the team know you’re not alone,” Lopez said.

Kansas City will host six games during the World Cup in 2026 with one of the games being a quarterfinal. All of the games will be played at Arrowhead Stadium, and they will span 26 days.

Kansas City is one of 16 cities in Canada, the United States and Mexico that will host games for the World Cup.

Mexico, Canada and the United States get automatic bids to the tournament, because they are host nations. Peru has not qualified yet. If they finish in the top 6 of the Copa America tournament, they will punch their ticket to the World Cup.

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