KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business, including FIFA World Cup 26, and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.
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Kansas City will host six FIFA World Cup 26 games in June and July at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
That’s tied with Philadelphia, Santa Clara, California, and Seattle for the fewest among any of the tournament’s 11 U.S. venues, but Kansas City lucked out in terms of quality contests, star power and storylines.
Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions led by legendary attacking midfielder Lionel Messi, will play at least one game at Arrowhead along with the Netherlands, who are ranked seventh in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking.
If Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal win their group, they’re in line for at least one game in Kansas City as well, giving the BBQ Capital of America and the Soccer Capital of America immense star power from its allotment of games.
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The region could get even luckier on the base camp front with Argentina, the Netherlands, England and Algeria, which plays two group stage matches at Arrowhead, among the front-runners to spend up to a month before the tournament in Kansas City.
Here’s more on the fifth game that will be staged in KC:
ROUND OF 32 — GROUP K WINNER VS GROUP D/E/I/J/L THIRD-PLACE
Time/Date: 8:30 p.m., July 3
ANALYSIS
The group stage will determine which teams actually play in Kansas City for this game, but we know this much: the Group K winner will be one of the teams.
The opponent will be one of the eight third-place teams that qualify, which presents the best chance for the U.S. Men’s National Team to play at Arrowhead.
Portugal, which features one of the most iconic footballers of his generation in five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, is the top-ranked side in Group K.
Supported by Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha, Ronaldo and the latest Golden Generation from Portugal need World Cup success to cement a legacy.
Head coach Roberto Martínez’s squad is ranked sixth in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, but Colombia — which is ranked 13th in the world and finished third in CONMEBOL, or South American, qualifying behind Argentina and Ecuador — won’t be pushovers.
La Tricolor, the best nickname for Colombia, is led by Liga MX Club León midfielder James Rodríguez, arguably the greatest player in the nation’s history. The 34-year-old won the Golden Boot with a tourney-best six goals in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but Luis Díaz, who moved from English powerhouse Liverpool to German powerhouse Bayern Munich, is the squad’s best player these days.
Uzbekistan and whichever team emerges from the Intercontinental Playoff* to join Group K will be long shots to top the favorites.
* The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the favorite in that playoff, but Jamaica and New Caledonia will be eager to pull an upset and make the field in late March.
The Group K winner will face a third-place finisher from either Group D/E/I/J/L.
If the U.S. finishes third in Group D, which would be a disappointing result but is possible in a group that includes Paraguay and Australia, along with a European Playoff winner*, the Stars and Stripes would likely land in Kansas City for its first knockout game.
It’s not quite Sophie’s Choice, but if Portugal meets the USMNT in the Round of 32, fans would have to sacrifice either the chance at a Messi-Ronaldo quarterfinal at Arrowhead or send Uncle Sam’s Army packing with a massively disappointing World Cup result on home soil.
If the Yanks wind up third in the group and lose in the opening knockout round, it might be a generational setback for soccer stateside.
Regardless of which third-place team shows up July 3 in Kansas City, they’ll almost certainly be underdogs against the Group K winner.
FULL SCHEDULE OF MATCHES IN KC
For more on all the matches that will be staged at Arrowhead, follow the links below for a deeper dive:
GROUP STAGE GAMES
June 16 — Group J: Argentina vs. Algeria
June 20 — Group E: Ecuador vs. Curaçao
June 25 — Group F: Tunisia vs. Netherlands
June 27 — Group J: Algeria vs. Austria
KNOCKOUT STAGE GAMES
July 3 — Round of 32
July 11 — Quarterfinal
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