Kansas City · The Beautiful Game

Soccer's summer — and a stadium that made history

Two pro clubs the city is fiercely proud of, a riverfront ground unlike any other on the planet, and the summer soccer's biggest stage comes to Arrowhead. Here's how a local does all of it.

Three things to know

KC is a soccer town now

It happened fast. A record-breaking women's club playing in a first-of-its-kind stadium, a men's side with one of the loudest grounds in the league, and six enormous summer matches landing at Arrowhead. Whether you're visiting or you live here, this is the page to start with.

NWSL

Kansas City Current

2025 regular-season champions, a back-to-back league MVP, and the first stadium in the world built for a women's pro team.

MLS

Sporting KC

One of the best soccer-specific grounds in the league, anchored by The Cauldron — the loudest seats in town.

Summer 2026

The Big Matches

Six of the biggest games in world football come to Arrowhead between June 16 and July 11 — including a quarterfinal.

On the pitch
Part one · The pride of the riverfront

Kansas City Current

Honestly, one of the best live-sports tickets in the entire city — and not just in women's sports. Get a seat before everyone else figures that out.

A first in the world

CPKC Stadium

Opened in 2024 on the Berkley Riverfront, this is the first stadium anywhere built from the ground up for a women's professional sports team. It's intimate — there isn't a bad seat — with the downtown skyline on one side and the Missouri River on the other.

1460 E. Front St, Kansas City, MO

A team worth shouting about

Champions & a record-setter

  • Won the 2025 NWSL Shield for the league's best regular-season record.
  • Striker Temwa Chawinga won back-to-back league MVP.
  • Chawinga set the single-season scoring record — this is genuinely special soccer.
Local tip you'll thank us for

Ride the free streetcar — don't pay for parking

The KC Streetcar's Riverfront extension is completely free and drops you about a five-minute walk from CPKC Stadium. Take it.

Stadium parking is prepaid and pricey — expect roughly $54–$75. Park downtown (or skip the car entirely), hop the streetcar, and walk in along the river. It's the smartest, cheapest, most scenic way to arrive.

Part two · Cross the state line

Sporting KC

The men's side plays just over in Kansas City, Kansas — and the atmosphere on a big night is something every visitor should feel at least once.

The ground

Sporting Park

Renamed for the 2026 season (you may remember it as Children's Mercy Park), it sits in Kansas City, Kansas near the Legends shopping district, right off I-70. It's widely considered one of the best soccer-specific stadiums in the league — steep, tight, and built so the noise stays in.

Where to sit

The Cauldron

The supporters' section is The Cauldron — the loudest end with the best atmosphere, flags up and chants all match. The 2026 home opener was Feb 28 vs. the Columbus Crew. Pair the game with dinner and shopping at the Legends next door.

Part three · The reason the whole city is buzzing

The big summer at Arrowhead

Soccer's biggest stage comes to Arrowhead. Between June 16 and July 11, 2026, Kansas City hosts six of the biggest matches in world football — capped by a quarterfinal. The whole town will be electric.

Group J · Tue, Jun 16

Argentina vs. Algeria

The world champions opened KC's tournament under the lights at Arrowhead.

Group E · Sat, Jun 20

Ecuador vs. Curaçao

Curaçao's first-ever trip to this stage — a great underdog story.

Group F · Thu, Jun 25

Netherlands vs. Tunisia

The Dutch bring their orange army to Kansas City.

Group J · Sat, Jun 27

Algeria vs. Austria

A Saturday night that could decide who advances out of the group.

Fri, Jul 3

Round of 32 Knockout

Win or go home — the knockout rounds arrive in KC.

Sat, Jul 11

Quarterfinal The marquee

One of the last eight standing in the world plays at Arrowhead. This is the one.

See the live match board & what's next →

Plan ahead — seriously

Book everything now

Hotels, dinner tables, and parking will vanish for these dates. Reserve well in advance, lean on the free streetcar plus rideshare to move around downtown, and build in extra time for crowds and security on match days.

Treat the whole stretch as a citywide party, not just six games — because that's exactly what it'll be.

Even without a ticket

Where to watch & celebrate

You don't need a seat inside to be part of it. Downtown will be alive for every match on the calendar.

Heart of it

Power & Light District

Look here for watch parties and fan zones downtown — big screens, crowds, and the loudest cheers in the city when the big summer matches kick off.

Get around

Free streetcar + rideshare

The free streetcar links downtown bars and the riverfront; rideshare fills in the rest. Skip the parking headache on match days entirely.

Make a day of it

Eat, drink, then watch

Grab KC barbecue and a patio drink, then settle in for the match. The city does festival energy as well as anywhere — soak it up.

Talk it out

KC soccer + the summer

Trade tickets advice, plan a watch-party meetup, or argue about the quarterfinal draw. Anonymous, local, and live.

Keep going

Before the whistle blows

Master the tailgate, then dig into the rest of the city.

Tailgate like a local The full KC guide