KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.
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The countdown to the FIFA World Cup 26 in Kansas City is officially underway — at least according to the giant clock that will be stationed inside Union Station for the rest of June.
To mark one year from the start of the biggest sports spectacle in the world, Kansas City business, political and civic leaders gathered Wednesday inside Union Station’s Grand Hall for a couple announcements, including the unveiling of a giant countdown clock.
Sporting Kansas City Principal Owner Cliff Illig and Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt unveiled the clock.
“I have a countdown clock right here,” KC2026 CEO Pam Kramer said while pointing to her head.
She took the reins at KC2026, the nonprofit charged with fulfilling FIFA’s obligations for host cities, almost a year ago — and now there’s only a year left before the expanded tourney kicks off June 11, 2026, in Mexico City.
“I actually had the thought that this is the last — you know, pick a day,” Kramer said. “The last birthday that we'll have before the World Cup, the last holiday before the World Cup. Part of what we want to communicate to the community is that we're on the clock now, right?”
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KC2026 will eventually have four countdown clocks, two with Kansas City-specific branding and two provided by FIFA. One of each will be stationed in Kansas and Missouri with the ability to take them on the road for big events, like state fairs or possibly to other major Midwestern cities.
“This will be the biggest sporting event in the history of humanity, and to be able to host that is an incredibly rare opportunity,” said Johnson County, Kansas, Board of Commissioners Chairman Mike Kelly. “... It's an amazing opportunity to showcase the quality of life that we have here, the culture that we have here, the industry, the entertainment, the food that we have in our region. It is really unique.”
FIFA has expanded the tournament from 32 to 48 teams for the first time, which will increase the number of games from 64 to a whopping 104.
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium will host six games, beginning with a group-stage match on June 16 and culminating with a quarterfinal on July 11.
“I feel very confident about where we are today and where we're headed — everything from transportation to coordinating experience on the ground to Fan Fest,” said Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Joe Reardon. “We're hitting all the right blocks at the right time to get there.”
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KC2026 also announced the first two of up to 10 host-city sponsors — pet-food giant Purina and Kansas City-based global architectural and design powerhouse Populous — who will help underwrite the region’s efforts to welcome the world.
“It's our home, our global company headquarters, and we want to bring all that we have and our love of Kansas City to everything and help Kansas City shine under the brightest of spotlights,” said Populous Senior Principal and Kansas City Office Director Kelly Holton.
It’s a labor of love for many of the folks at Populous, but that’s true across the region.
“I think a lot of folks who grew up in the metro region kind of have a little bit of an underdogness to them,” Kelly said.
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That makes Kansas City uniquely eager to show itself off, which is evident by the prevalence of Chiefs and Royals shirts on any flight to or from KCI.
“When this moment comes a year from now, more people will come to know Kansas City than ever in our history,” Reardon said. “That's an amazing moment in time for us, and I think we're going to be ready and it's going to be great.”
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