Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium Hosts World Cup After 36 Years

A father and son stood on a football field in 1990, pitching an impossible dream that took 36 years to become reality.

Lamar Hunt and his son Clark tried to convince FIFA in 1990 that their Arrowhead Stadium could host World Cup matches. Their pitch for the 1994 tournament didn't work, but the Hunt family never gave up on bringing the world's biggest soccer event to Kansas City.

Now their dream is about to come true. Arrowhead Stadium will host eight World Cup matches starting June 16, when defending champion Argentina faces Algeria.

The Chiefs poured millions into transforming their 53-year-old home to meet FIFA's strict requirements. They removed several rows of permanent seats on the north sideline and replaced them with modular seating. The team installed an air system beneath the field to improve the Bermuda grass pitch and re-sodded it with a different crown shape specifically for soccer.

The stadium, built in 1972 when hosting soccer matches wasn't even a consideration, now meets the exact dimensions and playability standards FIFA demands. For the World Cup, it will be known as Kansas City Stadium.

"Clark has been keen on really living that legacy, finding a way for Kansas City and Arrowhead Stadium specifically to host World Cup matches," said Matt Kenny, the Chiefs' executive vice president of operations and events.

The Ripple Effect

Arrowhead Stadium will host six pool matches, a round of 32 game, and a quarterfinal on July 11. Four national teams, including Argentina, England, the Netherlands, and Algeria, will base their operations in the Kansas City area during the tournament.

The transformation required nearly a decade of planning and collaboration. Cranes were still working this week to remove signage and build fan zones that will transform the stadium's massive parking lots into a World Cup experience.

After the July 11 quarterfinal, the stadium will convert back to football mode. The Chiefs expect to play their first preseason game about a month later, proving that dreams deferred don't have to be dreams denied.