KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories in Overland Park, Johnson County and topics about government accountability. This story came out of Overland Park's State of the City address, highlighting the successes and work ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Share your story idea with Isabella.
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Overland Park, Kansas, will have two welcome centers for visitors during FIFA World Cup 26.
The Overland Park Convention Center will transform its courtyard into a welcome center and destination for fans to learn more about Overland Park during their visit. The Oak Park Mall also will serve as a visitor's center for shuttles and rideshares to coordinate transit with the ConnectKC 2026 transportation.
At just three months out from the world's largest sports event coming to the Kansas City metro, everyone from city leaders to local businesses are getting ready.
"We are prepared," Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog said. "We're strategic and we're moving forward."
SERV, a restaurant and entertainment venue in Overland Park, is planning to host watch parties for all the matches.
"We've never had anything like this," Director of Marketing Dane Haller said. "There will never be anything like this."
Overland Park will host some of the 650,000 visitors for FIFA World Cup 26. Mayor Skoog explained the city was recently ranked among the best and safest places to live in the United States.
"That puts us in the championship league," Mayor Skoog said. "We get to be part of the world stage. How often does the world come to Kansas City and Overland Park and host thousands of visitors from all over the world?"
ConnectKC 2026 in Overland Park will transport guests and residents from the airport, Oak Park Mall, the Overland Park Convention Center, Fan Fest and Arrowhead Stadium for the matches.
Oak Park Mall will serve as the county's transit hub for hotel shuttles and rideshares.
"You can come to the mall, you can park, you can get on a shuttle, you can go see different sites around the county or you can go direct to the fan fest or go to a match," Senior General Manager Karla Engel said.
If you can't make it to a match, local establishments like SERV will be hosting watch parties all summer long. The pickleball bar and restaurant plans to air international friendly and game matches on its jumbo-tron screen outdoors.
"We are the number one spot for it in Overland Park," Haller said.
SERV has been prepping for months to transform its space to a global scale.
"What kind of food do people like? What kind of drinks do people like?" Haller asked. "How do we accommodate to all of our guests, from the international guests to our domestic guests? How do we make it work?"
World Cup preparations took center stage at Overland Park's State of the City address Tuesday afternoon.
Mayor Skoog explained city improvements like parks, roads and the 69 Express lane are here to stay after the final goal.
"All of this work we're doing is for the long term," Mayor Skoog said. "It's not just for the World Cup."
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