Kansas City has been included as an official Candidate Host City in the United Bid of Canada, Mexico, and the United States to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup™. The United Bid announced its list of 23 Candidate Host Cities that will be included in the Bid Book earlier today.
Kansas City is part of the most comprehensive and far-reaching hosting strategy ever developed for a mega-sporting event. Kansas City is thrilled at the possibility of welcoming the world to a united and inclusive celebration of soccer in Arrowhead Stadium, offering an advanced and exciting stage on which the world’s best players could compete.
The full list of Candidate Host Cities can be found below. If the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ is awarded to the United Bid, FIFA will select up to 16 Host Cities from the proposed slate of 23.
“Kansas City is the absolute perfect place to host the World Cup Soccer tournament in 2026. This City is welcoming, inviting, it’s diverse, it’s rich in culture and rich in attitude,” said Kansas City, MO Mayor Sly James. “We’re known for our food, we’re known for our BBQ, we’re known for our jazz, but most of all we’re known for our people. They are the nicest people in our country.”
“Kansas City is the soccer capital of the United States and is the ideal place to host games during the 2026 World Cup. As a region, KC and KCK offer numerous world class soccer facilities, from Children’s Mercy Park and the Pinnacle training facility in KCK, to Arrowhead Stadium in KCMO,” said Mayor David Alvey, Kansas City, Kansas. “Being selected as part of the North American bid to host the World Cup shows what working together can accomplish. It also affirms the positive impacts of the economic development efforts the Unified Government has undertaken.”
“All of Kansas City should be proud that our community is officially in contention to serve as a host city for the biggest sporting event in the world. Highly acclaimed for our hospitality and perfectly positioned in the heart of North America, Kansas City's modern amenities and accommodations strengthen the United Bid and provide a world-class experience for guests,” said Cliff Illig, Sporting Kansas City owner. “The inclusion of Kansas City also showcases a strategic vision and a spirit of togetherness made possible by a coalition of leaders in multiple cities, states and municipal agencies. All of us involved in the local effort are delighted to support the United Bid and are committed to continuing our mission to bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Kansas City.”
“Kansas City has served as the backdrop for some of the world’s greatest sporting events and we are thrilled to be a candidate to become a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” said Clark Hunt, Chairman & CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs. “Arrowhead is a “bucket list” destination for fans across all sports and we are confident it would be a tremendous environment for the world’s best soccer teams to showcase their talent. We are excited to be working closely together with this group of government and civic leaders who are determined to bring one of the world’s premier sporting events to Kansas City for all fans to enjoy.”
Canada, Mexico and the United States require no new stadium construction to stage the 2026 FIFA World Cup™. Kansas City, along with the United Bid, will instead be able to work with FIFA to ensure the players, officials, and fans have an extraordinary experience at the largest FIFA World Cup™ ever staged.
Across every metric, the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ in North America has the potential to deliver something extraordinary for Kansas City, North America, FIFA, and for soccer.
The United Bid’s final Candidate Host Cities are:
Canada:
- Edmonton
- Montréal
- Toronto
Mexico:
- Guadalajara
- Mexico City
- Monterrey
United States:
- Atlanta
- Baltimore
- Boston
- Cincinnati
- Dallas
- Denver
- Houston
- Kansas City
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- Nashville
- New York/New Jersey
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Seattle
- Washington DC
