Kansas City Mayor Urges FIFA Football Venue Near Manchester United's Cup Match
INTERVIEW: Ahead of a World Cup fraught with controversy, Democrat mayor Lucas tells Richard Jolly about how he’s striving to put Kansas City - England’s base for the tournament - on the map for the right reasons
Come June, England will be headed for the heart of America. Their journey will take them to Dallas, Boston and New York; if they get their wish, all the way back there for the final. But their base will be in Kansas City , the nearest big city to the geographical centre of a huge country.
They will be joined there by Argentina and the Netherlands, who also selected it for their training grounds. For Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas , a summer that could see the Arrowhead Stadium host a quarter-final between Argentina and Portugal, potentially the last clash between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, can put his part of Missouri on the global map. “It’s really probably the most amazing large-scale event we have ever hosted,” he said, anticipating 600,000 visitors to his hometown.
“The global focus is a dramatic shift for us. And so we are looking forward to leveraging the moment not only to expand the brand of Kansas City, almost like a 1996 Atlanta Olympics-type approach, but to also take the opportunity to brand the best of America: our openness, our kindness, our friendliness and the welcoming atmosphere that many others in the world may not be perceiving all the time right now. ” England will call Kansas City home for the 2026 World Cup - but division outside the camp threatens to mar the tournament on the whole (AFP/Getty) Which is a sign that, while Kansas City is a long way from coasts or borders, Lucas recognises concerns about the direction the United States is heading , about ICE and the Trump administration, about the reputational damage to a country that has alienated some allies and targeted some foreigners.
He shares some of them, but also has a belief there is a mutual interest in making this World Cup peaceful and popular, not bloody and brutal. Kansas City has already won some battles, prevailing over some larger and better-known places; with six matches and three countries based there, it made a positive impression, including on the English FA. “We in Kansas City call ourselves the soccer capital of America,” Lucas added.
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