Kansas City one step closer to hosting a World Cup

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City is one step closer to hosting the World Cup in 2026.

On Thursday, 41 Action News learned KC was included as an official candidate host city in the United bid between Mexico, Canada and the United States to host the event.

“Kansas City is the absolute perfect place to host the World Cup Soccer tournament in 2026," said Kansas City, Mo. Mayor Sly James in a statement. "This City is welcoming, inviting, it’s diverse, it’s rich in culture and rich in attitude."

Kansas City, Kan. Mayor David Alvey echoed that statement, saying in a release, "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."

The complete list of candidate host cities in the bid include:

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, D.C.

Mexico:

Guadalajara
Mexico City
Monterrey

Canada:

Edmonton
Montreal
Toronto

Morocco is the only other bid for the 2026 World Cup. FIFA members will make a decision at the FIFA Congress in Moscow on June 13.