Kansas City will welcome the world to town in four years. It has been selected to host matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, bringing one of the most-viewed sporting events on the planet to the City of Fountains. A total of 16 North American cities, including 11 U.S. cities, were among those chosen as host sites for the United bid. The games in Kansas City will be played on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. FIFA, the world organizing body for soccer, made the announcement Thursday in New York City. The announcement ends KC 2026’s seven-year effort to bring the World Cup to Kansas City on a high note. It’s unclear how many matches will be played in Kansas City, but it is expected at least five will be staged at Arrowhead.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is part-owner of Sporting Kansas City, was chosen as the celebrity to congratulate Kansas City on its selection. The U.S. made a joint bid along with Canada and Mexico to host the 2026 tournament, which was awarded to the three North American countries over a bid from Morocco in 2018. It will be the first World Cup hosted by more than two countries and only the second hosted by multiple countries, joining the 2002 event hosted by Japan and South Korea. Three Mexican cities — Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey — and three Canadian cities — Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver — put in bids to host in their respective nations. Edmonton was the only non-U.S. city to bid that was not awarded matches. There were 16 U.S. cities — Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York/New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C./Baltimore — that bid to host matches. Cincinnati, Denver, Nashville, Orlando and Washington D.C/Baltimore were not selected to host matches.