How Kansas City became unlikely 2026 World Cup hosts for the US

"Arrowhead Stadium, the 76,000 capacity home of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, will host six World Cup matches, including a possible Argentina-Portugal quarterfinal, anticipated as a Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo showdown. Kansas City overcame major odds to become one of 11 US venues for the biggest World Cup ever, a 39-day tournament stretching from Mexico City to Vancouver, Canada."

"While Kansas City is the 37th most populous city in the US, according to the 2020 census, most of the other hosting cities are in the top 10 in terms of population. That's a big gap, and most of those in between were bid cities, Alan Dietrich, chief operating officer of the Major League Soccer (MLS) team Sporting Kansas City, told Al Jazeera in a recent interview."

"The initial bid list in 2017 included 37 stadiums in 34 cities, including four Chicago, Detroit, Orlando, and Washington, DC that played host to the '94 World Cup. They all fell by the wayside and, when the announcement was made on June 16, 2022, Kansas City became a World Cup city. How did it happen? Go back to 2013, when Kansas City declared itself the Soccer Capital of America, a registered trademark."

"They invested in stadiums and training facilities, more than $650m worth. The World Cup was a long shot, but that did not stop the local organising committee from pulling out all the stops. We did crazy things, Dietrich said. World Cup 2026 signage at the Kansas City airport [Jamie Squire/Getty Images via AFP] That inclu"

Kansas City, Missouri will host six World Cup matches at Arrowhead Stadium, including a potential Argentina-Portugal quarterfinal. The city became one of 11 United States venues for a 39-day tournament spanning Mexico City to Vancouver. Kansas City ranks 37th in US population, while most other host cities are in the top 10. Many intermediate cities were bid cities that did not make the final selection. Kansas City pursued the tournament by declaring itself the Soccer Capital of America in 2013 and investing more than $650 million in stadiums and training facilities. The local organizing committee continued aggressive efforts through the long-shot bid process.

Read at www.aljazeera.com