Kansas City’s sports ties should be as obvious and celebrated as Nashville’s musical identity, said Neal Sharma, describing the region’s potential to redefine itself based on recent headline-grabbing wins.
“Honestly, we can’t stop talking about sports because it’s a real export here in Kansas City,” he told a crowd gathered Friday at Back2KC, fresh off his FIFA World Cup run as vice president of KC2026’s board of directors.
The “unmitigated, unequivocal success” of Kansas City’s World Cup spotlight this summer was just the launch pad, Sharma continued, noting that the board measured the city’s hosting success on three goals: to deliver the matches safely and seamlessly in a distinctly Kansas City way; to raise the profile of Kansas City globally; and to leave a lasting legacy that had a sustained impact in our community for generations to come…