With 650K visitors estimated and more than $653 million in projected economic impact, Kansas City is preparing to host six matches at Arrowhead Stadium for the FIFA World Cup for the first time this summer.

Junior Sophia Michael said she has been a soccer fan since she was 7 years old, and it has always been a big part of her family. She said her family from England, including her aunt, uncle, cousin, grandfather and family friends, are staying at her home so they can watch a match over the summer. She said they plan to attend the Austria vs. Algeria match in June. 

“It’s kind of a once-in-a-lifetime thing that they’re having the World Cup here,” Michael said. 

In the span of three weeks in June and July, Kansas City will host national teams from at least seven countries, including reigning world champions Argentina. 

Senior Kyan Detmer, who plays for the Sporting Kansas City Academy U-19s team, said the World Cup is affecting local players. His team normally practices on the grass fields at Swope Soccer Village, but has moved to the turf fields to maintain the grass England’s national team will soon use for training.

“It’s really cool to play each and every day on the same fields that England will play on,” Detmer stated. “I think it also speaks to how good our facility is.”

Detmer said his father and a teammate plan to attend the Ecuador vs. Curaçao match on June 20.

Strategic Communications Director for the City of Overland Park and Northwest alumna Meg Ralph said the city is planning six soccer summer celebration events in Overland Park.

“They’re basically watch parties, but [with] other activities going on,” Ralph said. “You can come and listen to a concert, watch the game, eat from a food truck, kind of enjoy the shared soccer atmosphere without necessarily going to the game.”

In addition to entertainment, Ralph said the city has been making improvements to public safety, infrastructure and ensuring the emergency medical services and police are prepared. She said they have been in  “late-stage prep mode,” finalizing details like the bus routes and signage with matches just weeks away. 

Ralph said the city hopes the long-term investments made will be utilized by residents. Projects like Clock Tower Landing and the new farmers market facility are meant to last for decades, but they accelerated the projects so visitors would be able to enjoy these additions to Overland Park. She said the city is also working with Johnson County on some transit services that will remain in use if there is enough interest this summer.

Beyond improvements to Overland Park, economics teacher Rob Meacham said the World Cup will impact local businesses, particularly those in the service industry.

“It goes beyond hotels and ticket sales, it goes into restaurants and bar and entertainment places for people here,” Meacham said.

While he said businesses will benefit, he is doubtful whether the World Cup will impact KC beyond this summer.

“I think it’s just going to be a really big influx of business and economic opportunity for this summer, not really sure [if it will] go out to future summers or future times,” Meacham said.

Johnson County property manager and BVNW parent Kermen Badmaeva said she expects a surge in visitors during the World Cup. She and her husband operate about 35 short-term rentals and 100 long-term rentals, which are single-family homes and townhouses, across Johnson County with their business partners. 

She said as of March, about 20% of their availability around match dates are booked. 

“We’re expecting the crowds,” Badmaeva said. “We think we will get good revenue this summer.” 

Badmaeva said she plans to raise nightly rates around major match days.

She said her goal is 100% occupancy during the tournament and plans to convert at least five long-term rental properties into short-term rentals. Since December, they have also been repainting and redecorating properties to appeal to a wider range of guests.

Badmaeva said they already booked a guest from South America and are preparing for international visitors. To communicate with non-English speakers, she said her property management software includes an AI translation tool. Badmaeva said her husband is also fluent in Spanish, allowing him to assist Spanish-speaking guests.

Public Information Officer for the Kansas City Aviation Department Jackson Overstreet said each customer service desk has a phone-based language line, a video translation service and iPads with Google Translate. The airport also offers an application for American Sign Language translation for people who are hard of hearing, as well as tools for visually impaired travelers. 

Overstreet said the Kansas City International Airport (MCI) expects June and July to be its two busiest months on record, with about a 5% increase in flights.

“We know that we’re going to be processing a lot of people,” Overstreet said. “We’ve got the space to be able to accommodate the increased traffic.”

Overstreet said the airport tested its baggage handling system in February by running scenarios that simulated higher volumes and potential equipment failures.

For security, Overstreet said MCI has 16 screening lanes, which are typically all activated only during prime travel days like Thanksgiving. He said the airport plans to run most or all of these lanes during the tournament, and travelers can expect 20 to 30 minute waits in security lines at peak hours.

Ralph said Overland Park is preparing for the large number of visitors and they are not concerned because they believe they have done all they can. 

“I think patience will be a key. If you’re trying to get out, think about going on an off night,” Ralph said. “But I also think it’s important for people to be thinking about making sure that we’re showing off the community to the whole world that’s coming. We don’t want our restaurants to be ghost towns. We want people to be there.”

Northwest parent and FIFA volunteer Sanket Shah is excited about what the matches are going to do for the city, but understands there will be some differences in lifestyle for residents.

“There are going to be some challenges with parking and other things. The downtown area, which I think is going to be the popular hangout, [and] Union Station area are going to be  busy areas,” Shah said. “But overall, I think it’s going to be fun.”

Shah is assigned to volunteer at the airport as a Host City Ambassador and is responsible for fan support by providing guidance. Shah said he signed up for this experience because he wanted to assist the city in this process.

“I’m a proud Kansas Citian, and this is a good opportunity to showcase what Kansas City has to offer,” Shah said. “Many people don’t know about it, and it’s considered a hidden gem.” 

Similarly, Ralph said she hopes residents take this event as an opportunity to connect with people from other cultures. 

“There’s a lot of ability for residents to connect with visitors,” Ralph said. “You can play soccer and pickleball with somebody without necessarily even speaking their language.”

Shah said he hopes visitors see how hospitable people in the Midwest are. As a volunteer, his goal is to extend a sense of courtesy that gives tourists a positive memory of the city. 

With the help of volunteers like Shah, Overstreet said the airport’s role goes beyond providing directions.

“The airport is going to be people’s first impression of Kansas City,” Overstreet said. “We’re going to be part of the center of the universe for two months. We want to make sure that from the moment they get off the plane to when they board their next flight, they have an incredible time.”