KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Katherine Holland will lead the day-to-day efforts to prepare Kansas City to be a host city for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The announcement came Thursday night from KC2026, the nonprofit group overseeing strategy and "delivery of contractual obligations for the FIFA World Cup 26"
Holland, as executive director, will put together the team that will build the plans and strategies that will allow the city to put on the largest sporting event in its history. She also will deal with civic and government groups and leaders across communities.
"Katherine's experience, from the beginning of the bid process through the formation of KC2026, is important to Kansas City's success in the next phase of planning and execution for the FIFA World Cup 26," said Karen Daniel, President of the KC2026 Board of Directors. "Her institutional knowledge, relationships with key stakeholders and commitment to Kansas City make her uniquely positioned to lead daily operations for this project."
Holland is a native of Kansas City and was the Executive Director of the 2017 U.S Figure Skating Championships.
“Managing the KC2026 bid on behalf of my hometown was such a privilege and one of the highlights of my career to date,” Holland stated in Thursday night's news release. “Having lived and worked in other major metros around the country, I can confidently say that our community’s passion, pride, collaboration and commitment to excellence is both inspiring – and uniquely Kansas City. I am certain that this market will continue to raise the bar for our region as a Host City in 2026 and beyond.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by 16 cities in the United States, Canada & Mexico.
The 48-team field is the largest in World Cup history.
