KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.
—
Passion — that’s what Kansas City can expect from fans who make the trek to town for FIFA World Cup 26 this summer, according to two international students on the Kansas City Roos men’s soccer team.
RELATED | Let's dive deep into each World Cup match coming to KC
Freshman forward Ian Witis-Hughes was born and raised in Dallas, but his parents and one of his older sisters were born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
“We go back every year,” Witis-Hughes said. “Man, the beaches, the food, all the culture there — everything's kind of second nature over there. ... All my family there, we're all really close, so ... that's all I remember from my childhood, you know, is being around them, going to the beach, the food there. When I go back, everything, it's a familiar feeling.”
Fellow Roos forward Wade Muttitt, a graduate-student transfer from St. Mary’s College of California, grew up in Reading, England, about 40 miles west of London. He’s proud of the deep roots soccer — well, football — has in his home country.
“England, for me, is the home of football, or soccer,” he said. “It's where it was founded and everything, so, for me, it's the biggest sport.”
Witis-Hughes knew of Kansas City’s reputation as the “Soccer Capital of America” before joining the Roos, but finding a soccer oasis in the middle of the U.S. was more eye-opening for Muttitt.
“After speaking to the coaches and stuff like that, I really quickly figured out that this was a soccer hub,” Muttitt said. “Soccer’s huge here.”
Sporting Kansas City and the Kansas City Current are the city’s biggest soccer brands, but the Roos, who have reached back-to-back NCAA Division I tournaments, are quickly establishing a winning tradition.
“It's an amazing place to grow if you're a big soccer fan and if you love to support it,” Muttitt said.
That’s why he’s thrilled, but not surprised, that Kansas City is England’s first choice for a team base camp. England’s Football Association, which includes England’s men’s national team, confirmed Tuesday that Swope Soccer Village was its top choice.
FIFA is expected to award the Three Lions, which are ranked No. 4 in the World Men’s Ranking, their preference as a Pot 1 team.
“The facilities are matched there,” Muttitt said. “I'll put them on par with some of the facilities in England, so it's a great place for them to set up. Also, they're in the middle of America, so it's easy for them to get around. It will be awesome to see them here. ... It's going to be an awesome experience. It's incredible just knowing that they're going to be in the same area here, training and getting ready for one of the biggest competitions in the world.”
More than just England’s talisman Harry Kane and rising star Jude Bellingham, Muttitt is eager for Three Lions fans to invade Kansas City.
“They're passionate,” he said. “They're definitely some of the most passionate fans you're going to find, especially when it comes to football. ... Everyone loves the Three Lions.”
Witis-Hughes is eager to see Argentina’s soccer-loving fans overrun Kansas City as well.
La Albiceleste, the No. 2-ranked team in the world led by goal superstar Lionel Messi, plans to use Sporting KC’s Compass Minerals National Performance Center for a base camp.
Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions, open defense of their title June 16 against Algeria at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium then face Austria six days later in Arlington, Texas — an incredible development for Witis-Hughes’ family during the Final Draw.
RELATED | Kansas City-bound breakdown: Group J — Argentina vs. Algeria
“My mom called me and she was like, ‘There's no chance that Argentina drew Kansas City and Dallas both in the same group,’” he said. “That was, I mean, that was crazy. We were all freaking out about it, my whole family.”
Watching Messi is what drew Witis-Hughes to soccer as a child, so he’s thrilled he’ll spend a month or more in town with a few thousand of his friends.
“They're some of the nicest people that you'll find,” Witis-Hughes said of Argentina fans. “They're very respectful, but I'd say not to try not to go against them. They’re very competitive.”
The Netherlands, which is ranked No. 7, are a Pot 1 team, along with England and Argentina.
A team’s ranking and whether it plays a game in a given World Cup market are keys in FIFA’s base-camp allocation, with Pot 1 teams expected to be given priority in their preferred city.
Argentina and the Netherlands both have group-stage games scheduled in Kansas City, giving them top choice for Compass Minerals and the Current’s University of Kansas Health System Training Facility, where Clockwork Orange is expected to train.
Algeria, which is ranked No. 28 and plays two group-stage games in Kansas City, is expected to use KU’s Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence as its base camp.
—
