KANSAS CITY, Mo. — While Kansas City was preparing to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, local fans may have been skeptical about the number of visitors projected to arrive in the metro for matches and watch parties.
As the group stage has progressed into the knockouts, however, the world has seen how much of a soccer city Kansas City truly is. Through the success of the FIFA Fan Fest, the largest Oranje Fanwalk in U.S. history and the love story unfolding between Lawrence and Algeria, Kansas City has proven to the world how much of a staple it is in the culture of American soccer.
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This could also be seen through the increase in visitors the city had on match days and eves.
Through a report on short-term rental bookings in World Cup host cities, Kansas City had one of the largest increases in visitors amongst all host cities, according to AirDNA. Though some cities like Guadalajara, Mexico City and Miami saw an increase in visitors on non-match days and eves, this was not a trend consistent amongst most host cities…