KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
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Three of the world's best soccer teams will set up base camps in Kansas City for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, bringing international excitement to the metro just four months before the tournament begins.
Argentina, England and the Netherlands are all officially basing their teams in the Kansas City area this summer.
England's team will stay at The Inn at Meadowbrook in Prairie Village. Nearby resident Bob Spaniol sees this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him and his soccer-playing grandson.
"It'll definitely be crazy. There will be people on World Cup player lookout," Spaniol said. "I'll be one of those people."
For Gail Kellum, who lives across from The Inn, the World Cup presence means a chance to meet some famous new neighbors.
"It'll be pretty exciting, I'll get some pictures, of course, and an autograph," Kellum said.
Another Prairie Village resident said the anticipated chaos might disrupt daily routines.
"I'm afraid it's going to be so crazy I'll have to take a long vacation from my daily walk," she said.
The Netherlands will train near Kansas City's riverfront, which has Emily Thorn considering spending more time in the area, but she hopes the city has learned from past major sporting events.
"When the draft was here, I just remember hearing that companies, local companies, were kind of left out of the planning," Thorn said. "I'd be interested in, 'does the city have a plan for that?' To support some of these local businesses?"
With the World Cup approaching, Kansas City residents are preparing for an international spotlight that means something different to everyone who gets to experience it.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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