Missouri Takes the Global Stage: Kansas City a Host City for the Largest FIFA World Cup in History

• July 30, 2025

Missouri is ready to welcome the world as Kansas City prepares to host matches for the largest FIFA World Cup in history in 2026. Building on its powerful sports momentum, Kansas City has laid the groundwork for this global event, which FIFA projects will bring $650 million to the region while showcasing Missouri on the world stage.

Becoming a World Cup host city is no easy feat. Each city had to prove it had the infrastructure, passion, and capability to deliver a world-class experience for athletes, fans, and global media. For Kansas City, that meant demonstrating access to at least 55,000 hotel rooms within a two-and-a-half-hour radius and securing 6,000 volunteers. Showcasing Kansas City’s strong soccer culture, central location that’s easily accessible from across North America, and its unmatched commitment to hospitality sealed the deal. Since winning the bid in June 2022, the Kansas City Host Committee has demonstrated unwavering enthusiasm and determination to make Kansas City shine, becoming the first of the 16 Host Cities to secure 200 buses for the tournament.

While we won’t know which teams will be playing there until December of 2025, the dates of the matches at Kansas City Stadium (Arrowhead Stadium) have been set: 

GROUP STAGE   Tuesday, June 16, 2026 

GROUP STAGE   Saturday, June 20, 2026

GROUP STAGE   Thursday, June 25, 2026 

GROUP STAGE   Saturday, June 27, 2026

ROUND OF 32   Friday, July 3, 2026 

QUARTER-FINAL   Saturday, July 11, 2026 

While Kansas City is hosting six matches at Kansas City Stadium, bringing the world’s largest sporting event to the heart of America, Missouri will play a central role in welcoming visitors from across the world. The average international visitor to Kansas City for the World Cup is expected to stay in the U.S. for 9 days. With its welcoming communities, affordable accommodations, and vibrant culture, Missouri is ready to ensure every visitor’s stay is as memorable as the matches themselves.

For World Cup visitors, organizers, and teams, Missouri offers: 

• Easy travel from both domestic and international origins.
• Affordable accommodations for organizers, teams, and supporters.
• Supportive local communities known for hospitality.
• Engaging tourism: combining outdoor adventures, museums, music, and cuisine.

Missouri is a great state to host the World Cup, offering visitors an affordable, welcoming environment and a vibrant mix of sports, culture, and entertainment within friendly communities and unmatched central accessibility. At the heart of it all, Kansas City is the perfect city to bring the World Cup to life, with its deep soccer roots, passionate fan base, and the iconic Arrowhead Stadium ready to host some of the tournament’s most exciting matches.