Top teams pick Kansas City

How the city became a became a World Cup hotspot.

One Essential Read One Essential Read Recommended by Kate Turton, Newsletter Editor How Kansas City became a World Cup hotspot   Kansas City prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, May 9, 2026. REUTERS/Katie Currid Kansas City has a long and storied history. It has attracted traders and mobsters, jazz legends and barbecue pitmasters, and even Taylor Swift. Now it is preparing to welcome some of the world's best soccer players - and their devoted followers. Kansas City is no stranger to the world's best loved sport, it has long billed itself  the "Soccer Capital of America." Now the smallest of the 11 US host cities for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, will play host to three of the top seeds - Argentina, England and ‌the Netherlands. Read the full article   Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters' website   Reuters One Essential Read is sent three days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. This email includes limited tracking for Reuters to understand whether you’ve engaged with its contents. For more information on how we process your personal information and your rights, please see our Privacy Statement. Terms & Conditions   © 2026 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036