Can the World Cup transform this Midwestern city into a global tourist hub?

 

A detailed view of a ball on the pitch at Arrowhead Stadium ahead of the 2026 World Cup at Kansas City Stadium on May 11, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri.

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Kansas City is betting big.

Betting almost $200 million, in fact, that hosting the World Cup will transform this Midwestern hub into a global tourist destination. It’s a heady proposition. Already, the tournament has been dubbed the “World Cup of Chaos” over immigration fights and exorbitant ticket prices. Kansas City’s gamble is that it can break through all of that – and convince people to keep coming back.

“You’re putting yourself on the international stage,” Victor Matheson, a professor at The College of the Holy Cross and an expert on sports economics, told CNN. “But do we really think people from Japan and Uzbekistan and Cape Verde are saying, ‘hey, I’m going on my once-in-a-lifetime trip to the United States, and I’m going to take it to Kansas City’?”

Local officials say this is their shot. Kansas City has never hosted something this grand and may never again.

Organizers project more than $653 million in direct economic impacts through retail, food and drink, hospitality and more, said Jenny Wilson, vice president of tourism development at Visit KC. Organizers expect over 650,000 visitors, enough to swallow the city’s population of about 520,000.

World Cup signage greets travelers at the Kansas City airport ahead of the 2026 World Cup on May 5, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri.

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Kansas City propped up transit lines to the airport, stadium and downtown fan festival. Homeowners rented out their spaces. An Uber spokesperson said the company is adding more drivers as officials plan for the city’s six matches, which begin Tuesday.

But Kansas City is the underdog. Compared to the 16 hosts across North America, there aren’t many direct flights overseas, and flights aren’t cheap. Fans may not stay for longer vacations – Matheson is flying to Kansas City from Boston for a game and staying for just 36 hours.

And Kansas City is competing with the likes of Mexico City, Los Angeles and Miami, which can pay off their considerable World Cup tabs year-round with other events and entertainment.

“What does a win for a city mean?” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas told CNN. “When should a city invest in these sorts of things? Hopefully this World Cup gives us the chance to test some of these.”

Great expectations

The multibillion-dollar World Cup relies on hosts to pay for infrastructure, transportation, staffing and security. City, state and federal funds paid for Kansas City’s efforts.