Following the news that Dallas and Houston were selected as 2026 World Cup host cities, we've reached out to writers at some other host cities chosen Thursday to get a sense of why they prevailed. Today, we're featuring Daniel Sperry with his thoughts on Kansas City and the upcoming matches in Arrowhead Stadium.
The awarding of 2026 World Cup Host status to Kansas City came as a surprise to many on the outside. To Kansas Citians, however, it was outside confirmation of how they viewed their own city. Longtime Sporting Kansas City head coach Peter Vermes said he “didn’t know of a better city to represent the Midwest.”
Kansas City might be among your typical blue-collar midwest cities, but it’s certainly not the cowtown people think of it as anymore. Kansas City has grown up. A lot.
Judging by the reactions from outside of America’s Heartland, people haven’t quite understood that yet — including some affiliated with SKC's Western Conference rivals.
Colorado Rapids head coach Robin Fraser, for example, told Colorado Public Radio following KC's selection and Denver's snub, “I think if you look at cities in this region, Kansas City being one of them … it's actually mind-boggling to me that Kansas City was chosen over Denver.”
To be fair, Fraser hasn’t had much of a positive experience during his trips to Kansas City. During his tenure with the Rapids, they’ve posted a 1-4-1 record and a -7 goal differential in Children's Mercy Park.
A Nashville SC radio broadcaster tweeted prior to their loss to Sporting Kansas City on Sunday that he hoped Nashville would get revenge over Kansas City, “A city that didn’t deserve the World Cup over Nashville.”
It’s because of thought processes like these from the "outside" that Kansas Citians carry a chip on their shoulder about how they’re seen and portrayed by the world.
That chip might have come through as Kathy Nelson, Katherine Holland, Clark Hunt, Cliff Illig, and Quinton Lucas presented their bid to FIFA. Dozens of Kansas Citians poured hours, days, and weeks of work into their bid and presentation to FIFA.
It clearly left an impression on FIFA.
“This wasn’t a check the box exercise,” said Sporting KC President and CEO Jake Reid. “They remembered that. That came out every time we’d get on the call [when they said], ‘Oh, Kansas City. Trust me, you guys are always the most excited.’”
Kansas Citians know they have a great culture when it comes to food, art, and music in addition to the soccer culture.
Sporting Kansas City has been a trendsetter in Major League Soccer. From stadiums to training facilities, and perennial competitiveness — despite what appears to be a down year this season — they’ve been the model small-market franchise in MLS.
Let’s not forget the ownership of the Kansas City Current. The NWSL team in town is setting an example for investment into the women’s game in the US by privately financing a stadium and training facility.
Every men’s and women’s World Cup cycle, the scenes of people erupting at every American goal down in the Power and Light District are shared non-stop on social media, and put on repeat during the broadcasts. People haven't really seen the same in Nashville or Denver.
Despite everything Kansas City knows it has going for itself, those who worked on that bid knew that Kansas City was going to have to step up to the plate and show FIFA why it should be deserving of hosting matches.
Their efforts to make sure every box was checked and every question had an answer were probably a result of the chip on their shoulder they have for the city. The energy and excitement in which their pitch was delivered was a result of that civic pride.
So when Becky G blurted out “Kansas City” on the FS1 broadcast announcement, the Power and Light district erupted. Not out of surprise, but out of relief.
For Kansas Citians it was global confirmation of something they already knew: Kansas City was worthy of representing the Midwest on a global stage.
Daniel Sperry covers SKC and the Kansas City Current for the Kansas City Star.