KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Of the 11 U.S. metropolitan areas hosting the World Cup this summer, Kansas City is easily the smallest.
But it’s punching above its weight in this tournament. Four teams chose to make the region their home away from home during the tournament, and the Netherlands and Argentina are playing group stage games here.
Kansas City is no stranger to soccer. The city calls itself the “Soccer Capital of America,” a phrase trademarked by MLS’s Sporting Kansas City a decade ago. Its NWSL team, the KC Current, opened the first U.S. stadium built for a women’s professional sports team in 2024. Even the titular character from the beloved soccer show Ted Lasso, and the actor who portrays him, are from the area.
The city held its first match of the tournament between Argentina and Algeria on Tuesday night. Lionel Messi scored his first World Cup hat trick at the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium, a historic feat in a venue that will soon be abandoned as the NFL team moves across state lines to a $3 billion dome.
Base Camp Capital
