The countdown is on: Kansas City prepares for biggest soccer match in its history
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Two years from Thursday, Kansas City will host the biggest soccer match in its history: a FIFA World Cup quarterfinal. Kansas City will be one of just 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup, as the world’s largest and most prestigious single-sport event comes to KC.
“It’s huge. It’s every soccer player’s dream and it’s every soccer fan’s dream, too,” said Roger Espinosa, a former Sporting KC player who played in two World Cups for Honduras. “You are going to have the whole world here, even people whose team is not here. Kansas City is an amazing place to host it.”
In total, KC will host six World Cup games in 2026. On June 16, 20, 25, and 27, Arrowhead Stadium will host four group stage matches. The first elimination game -- a Round of 32 match-up -- will be played on July 3. The quarterfinal is scheduled for July 11. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas thinks the city will deliver in front of a global soccer audience.
“What I expect is a great World Cup for Kansas City. We’re not into drama here in Kansas City. We build big things. We do big things,” Lucas said. “I’m excited about what’s ahead and the World Cup is a big part of it.”
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Kansas City calls itself the “Soccer Capital of America.” Earlier this year, a Sporting KC match was moved from Children’s Mercy Park to Arrowhead Stadium when Lionel Messi and FC Miami came to town. This summer, KC hosted two Copa America games, but things will be taken to a new level in 2026.
“I think Kansas City is such an incredible sports town in general. You see it with the Chiefs, you see it with the Royals, you see it with both professional soccer teams in town,” said Kurt Austin, the Communications Director of Sporting Kansas City. “For me personally, I’m a huge fan of the World Cup. I’ve been to World Cups on six different continents, but now to have a World Cup here in Kansas City, my hometown, is a ‘pinch me’ moment. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for fans here to see World Cup action.”
The once-in-a-lifetime event may even inspire the next generation of soccer stars. Roger Espinosa thinks the World Cup will have a lasting impact on soccer in Kansas City.
“It’s a mix of many cultures, and I think it’s going to make soccer grow immensely here in the city with a lot of soccer kids that want to be Graham Zusi, Matt Besler, and play for the national team,” Espinosa said. “That’s amazing to see.”
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