KSHB 41 News reporter Lauren Schwentker covers stories in the Northland, including in Clay and Platte counties. Have a story idea? Send her an email.
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Fans from around the world are filling the Kansas City Power & Light District ahead of Monday's USA vs. Belgium match, which kicks off at 7 p.m.
Massive crowds have become the norm at the downtown venue, but the story of how it became tradition stretches back more than a decade.
Nate Bukaty has emceed every World Cup watch party at Power & Light since the beginning, watching it grow into what it is today.
"Just like all the great things that involve soccer in this town, it happened very organically," Bukaty said.
He says P&L looks much different today than it did 16 years ago — and it all started in 2010.
"The first time we had a real gathering where everybody was unified to watch and root for a team together was actually the men's national team in 2010," Bukaty said.
At the time, the venue wasn't even equipped with an HDTV screen.
"They didn't really know what to expect. There wasn't even an HDTV screen here at the time, and the place filled up," Bukaty said.
From there, the crowds kept growing. By 2014, local ties to the World Cup roster brought even more fans through the doors.
"In 2014, when Matt Besler and Graham Zusi, two local guys, were playing in the World Cup, the place was absolutely packed," Bukaty said.
Bukaty says the U.S. was not known for watch parties up until that point, but Kansas City changed that.
Another major turning point came in 2019, when Kansas City was the only city in the nation to throw a watch party for every U.S. Women's National Soccer Team match.
"I think it really got the attention of FIFA that this is a very legitimate soccer community in the middle of America, and it's one worthy of consideration," Bukaty said.
Now that the city is hosting the World Cup, those crowds have earned a special honor. The Power & Light District will serve as the primary fan reaction cam for Fox during the U.S. vs Belgium match, according to Mallory Cage, director of FIFA Fan Festival Kansas City.
Cage said it's something the community earned.
"Kansas City has a long history of being a great soccer town, of showing up for this," she said. "I mean, Power & Light's hosted events for years and garnered attention, so we wanted to build on that and continue to show how we can show up on the world stage."
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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