World Cup comes to Kansas City thanks to its ‘Midwestern pioneering spirit,’ organizers say

It might be the smallest U.S. city to host the FIFA World Cup this summer, but Kansas City organizers are hoping to be considered the mightiest by fans who will be arriving in the Midwest to celebrate the biggest single-sport tournament in the world.

It might be the smallest U.S. city to host the FIFA World Cup this summer, but Kansas City organizers are hoping to be considered the mightiest by fans who will be arriving in the Midwest to celebrate the biggest single-sport tournament in the world.

Subscribe to read this story ad-free

Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.

The opportunity to be home to the World Cup arose after Kansas City’s steady work to create the infrastructure that makes it the “soccer capital of America,” host committee CEO Pam Kramer told NBC News. Hosting the tournament could help define Kansas City, a population of just over 500,000, in people’s minds as a global leader in the sports industry.

“I think there is this Midwestern pioneering spirit — we don’t wait for other people to do things. We just kind of lock arms and get it done together,” Kramer said. “But it’s all about coming together around a big idea. So when you think about great sports moments, we want them to know that we celebrate our teams.”