Reigning World Cup champion Argentina will open the 2026 tournament in Kansas City against Algeria, according to schedules released Saturday during the second day of FIFA's final draw.
In Kansas City:
- Argentina and Algeria will play at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16.
- Ecuador will face Curaçao at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 20.
- Tunisia plays the Netherlands at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 25.
- Algeria and Austria will play at 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 27.
After the four first-round games, Kansas City will host a Round of 32 match on Friday, July 3, and a quarterfinal match on Saturday, July 11, with competitors to be determined by first-round play.
A crowd of thousands braved the cold weather in Kansas City’s Power & Light District on Friday to watch the FIFA World Cup final draw to place teams in their groups.
Kansas City was already set to get two games between Group J teams, one from Group E and one from Group F. Friday’s draw determined who was in each group, and on Saturday, FIFA announced when those teams will play each other.
The draw placed the qualifying nations into 12 groups of four teams each, which then play each other until the top points-getters advance to the next round.
The 48-team tournament is the first to be played in three countries and has been billed as one of the largest and most complex World Cups in history.
Brothers Juan Pablo and Ramon Rodriguez from Shawnee, Kansas, were among the first thousand fans to arrive, dressed in outsized sombreros and fake black mustaches. They said they wanted to support Kansas City as it prepares to host the top tournament for "the most amazing sport in the world."
Ramon Rodriguez says he was excited to support both Mexico and the United States.
“Viva Mexico. Viva USA,” he said. “We love you guys, because sports is the most beautiful thing."
Aaron Royal is a Sporting KC member, and he’s been to a few Current games this year. He said he is excited for the indoor soccer season, too. Royal said he thinks the tournament will put Kansas City on the map for an international audience.
“We're easily the soccer city of the Midwest,” Royal said. “I hope that Kansas City represents and gives them that Midwest nice, that we always like to present to the outside world.”
The final draw took place in Washington, D.C., at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and was livestreamed to a crowd at KC Live! in Power and Light. KC2026, the group organizing Kansas City’s portion of the tournament, gave away scarves and pumped up the crowd.
People have already been able to buy tickets to the game through a lottery system, but prices are expected to increase now that fans know where and when their favorite teams will play.
Kansas City’s recognition as a soccer-loving city has come recently, but it has a long and rich history with the beautiful game, starting with the immigrants who started local leagues and lobbied for playing spaces.
All Kansas City’s games will be played at Arrowhead Stadium, which will be known as Kansas City Stadium during the tournament.
