Kansas City soccer fans packed KC LIVE! in the Power & Light District on Friday morning to watch the FIFA World Cup Final Draw and get one step closer to learning which 2026 World Cup matches will be played in their city. While the official draw took place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., KC created its own celebration with live music, raffles, photo ops, and commentary from Nate Bukaty and former World Cup player Jimmy Conrad.
Among those fueling the excitement was drummer Deanna Hartman of KC Cauldron, who has worked with major European clubs like Liverpool. She said Kansas City is about to experience a level of soccer passion that rivals even Chiefs Kingdom. “There’s so much love for soccer here,” Hartman said. “It brings people together—there’s a lot of unity in this sport.”
Fans from around the world echoed that sentiment, including Francis Akwabeng, a student from Ghana, who said he feels fortunate to be in a host city as the global event approaches. “The World Cup happens once every four years. For many, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” he said.
Sporting KC’s Chris Miles, who helps oversee fan activities for the club and the World Cup, emphasized that the event marks a defining moment for Kansas City’s soccer culture—but also a beginning. “The World Cup is the next step for us to continue building a great soccer community,” he said, pointing to the growth sparked by Sporting KC and the KC Current.
Friday’s watch party also narrowed down which teams could play in Kansas City next summer. KC will host group-stage matches from three groups:
Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, UEFA Playoff B winner (Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania), Tunisia
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan (KC will host two matches from this group)
Kansas City will also host a Round of 32 match featuring teams from Group K (Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, FIFA Playoff 1 winner).
While the draw doesn’t confirm which specific teams will play in KC, the final announcement will arrive Saturday—bringing the city one step closer to hosting the world’s biggest sporting event.
Our coverage of The FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw is brought to you by The Schumacher Group, Keller Williams Realty.
