Sports leaders who tied their legacies to World Cup: KC businesses, fans impressed the world
July 11, 2026 | Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
Cliff Illig and Clark Hunt, honorary co-chairs of KC2026, the Kansas City host organization for FIFA World Cup 2026, share a laugh on stage at KC House on the Country Club Plaza; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Kansas City seized its moment in the international spotlight, said Clark Hunt, sweeping aside what he called past concerns about FIFA World Cup economic impact and visitor projections to laud work on the ground by local officials, entrepreneurs and fans.
“For many, many years, sports fans around the world are going to know where Kansas City is and they’re going to think of it as a great place to come watch sporting events,” said Hunt, chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs. “It’s something that those of us here in the city and across North America have known for a lot of years.”
Clark Hunt, chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs, shares his score card for Kansas City during the FIFA World Cup on stage at KC House; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
“We’ve hosted AFC Championship games, the World Series, MLS Cups, MLB All-Star Games, and many other events,” he continued. “But nothing compares to the World Cup.”
Hunt joined Cliff Illig — co-principal owner of Sporting KC, co-founder of Cerner, and honorary co-chair of the KC2026 board of directors along with Hunt — on stage Friday afternoon at KC House for a press conference discussing the impact of the five-week tournament and how Kansas City’s investments paid off.
“It’s absolutely been a successful event. I think there was a concern that the hotel rooms were not going to be there and that there weren’t going to be as many fans in the city as had been projected. I think all that is a past concern,” the Chiefs owner said, referencing KC2026 estimates that Kansas City would see an influx of 650,000 fans. “It’s been a big economic success for Kansas City, and again, everyone in the city should be proud of the job that we’ve done.”
Throngs of Oranje Army fans backing Team Netherlands in the FIFA World Cup march in a fanwalk south down Grand Avenue in Kansas City; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
Cliff Illig, co-principal owner of Sporting KC, co-founder of Cerner, and honorary co-chair of the KC2026 board of directors along with Clark Hunt, discusses the longterm impact of the FIFA World Cup on Kansas City; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Kansas City will be known globally as a desired soccer destination going forward, Illig added.
“The future of soccer in this region is extremely, extremely bright,” he explained. “What we’re going to see is the World Cup is going to continue to accentuate the role soccer has, not only as a sport, but as a major economic factor in our region. I think we’ll see a lot more kids playing the game. I think we’ll see a lot more soccer events.”
Such successes are worth touting even before the city plays host to its last game — a quarterfinal match between Switzerland and reigning World Cup champions Argentina Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium (renamed Kansas City Stadium for the World Cup), noted Pam Kramer, CEO of KC2026.
Pam Kramer, CEO of KC2026, discusses FIFA World Cup successes on stage at KC House; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
“I was looking today at the last quarterfinal that Argentina played in, more than 500 million people watched the match on television or on streaming,” Kramer continued. “Half a billion people, that potential exists (today) to be tuned into Kansas City. It’s a really extraordinary opportunity for us to show on the world stage who we are and so much good has already happened.”
So far, she noted, the FIFA Fan Festival has already welcomed more than 310,000 people and the Connect KC2026 service has transported more than 190,000 people during the games.
“Just seeing that heart (at the entrance of Fan Fest), there was no doubt that that was going to become the iconic photo associated with Kansas City in the World Cup,” Hunt shared. “And I was excited to be able to get a photo there. I’ve already told my children that you can dig this out 25 years from now when the World Cup comes back to the U.S. and show them what it was like in Kansas City back in 2026.”
A swelling crowd of fans pack the grounds at Kansas City’s FIFA Fan Festival June 5; Photo by David Gray
KC will be remembered for its enthusiasm
Hunt has had the opportunity to attend World Cup matches this summer in venues across the country, he said, and whether he was interfacing with fans, FIFA dignitaries, or members of U.S. Soccer, they all mentioned how special it was to see what was happening in Kansas City.
Clark Hunt and Cliff Illig, honorary co-chairs of KC2026, listen to updates on Kansas City’s FIFA World Cup successes during a KC2026 event at KC House on the Country Club Plaza; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
“In a lot of ways, we became known as Base Camp Central,” he continued. “But at the end of this World Cup, that’s not what we’re going to be known for. We’re going to be known for the tremendous competition that happened on the field at Arrowhead. We’re going to be known for the ways that the community served as a host for the fans from across the country and internationally.”
“We’re going to be known for our Fan Fest, which I believe is one of the best across the venues in North America,” he added. “And I think most importantly, we’re going to be known for the enthusiasm that the fans who attended the games have shown and their memories of Kansas City.”
All four of Kansas City’s base camp teams — Argentina, England, the Netherlands, and Algeria — their staffs, FIFA officials, the international media, and the supporters have all been complimentary of the way they’ve been treated in the heartland, Illig said.
“We really, really made a good impression about how well we do in the middle of the country taking care of people,” he explained. “Our businesses and all those places in the community where visitors could come to rest or enjoy an adult beverage,or enjoy our cuisine and our barbecue here in Kansas City, all of those businesses have done a great, great job.”
All of the games and festivities, Hunt noted, made him reflect on the work of his father, Lamar Hunt, who fell in love with soccer after watching the World Cup final between England and West Germany in 1966 and who tried unsuccessfully to bring the World Cup to Kansas City in 1994. He eventually brought professional soccer to the city with the Wizards.
“Nothing would have made him more happy than Kansas City serving as the centerpiece to an incredible World Cup here in North America in 2026,” Hunt explained. “He would be just absolutely thrilled. He would have loved every single game at Arrowhead. He would have loved the competition on the field. He would have loved the fans chanting and singing. He would have loved the Fan Fest, and he would have been right there in the middle of that Fan Fest.”
This past month is proof that his father was a visionary, he continued.
“As a family, we’ve joked that his vision for soccer in North America was exactly right, but it was 40 years early,” Hunt said. “And fortunately, we’re on the other side of that 40 years, and everything that he believed the sport could be in this country is unfolding before our eyes.”
“As we wind this down, it’s going to, again, bring to the forefront the importance of Lamar Hunt as a visionary and what I would call one of the greatest sports entrepreneurs of all time,” added Illig, who invested in soccer in Kansas City at the urging of Lamar Hunt.
‘We truly feel at home here’
To continue building upon the momentum Kansas City has gained through the World Cup, the region must leverage the relationships it’s made, Hunt said.
“Something that Pam and our team has been very intentional about is making sure that we connect with the business and political leaders who’ve come to Kansas City as part of the World Cup,” he explained. “They’ve seen what we have to offer here. So now it’ll be a matter of turning those connections into future business opportunities.”
Some of those connections were emphasized Thursday night when the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and World Trade Center-Kansas City hosted the Argentine Football Association (AFA) for an executive leadership dinner, featuring a moderated conversation between Leandro Petersen, chief commercial and marketing officer of the AFA, and sports broadcaster Bruno Vain.
“We have watched people from every corner of the world come together in celebration,” said Joe Reardon, president and CEO of the KC Chamber. “Football has indeed brought us together, resulting in new relationships that will endure long after the final match is played. And that is especially true for our relationship between Kansas City and Argentina. Our business community sees tremendous opportunity to strengthen the connections between our region through trade, investment, in innovation, education, and cultural exchange.”
“A few things that I want to note about how exciting it has been for us to get to know Argentina better,” added Quinton Lucas, mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, “while we have loved the banderazos, while we have enjoyed watching every match — even with the tension that exists — while I’ve danced more publicly in the last three weeks than any man should, particularly in a government position, I have to say it has been the relationships that have been exceptional and something that will last for quite some time.”
Tracy Whelpley, director of regional impact for KC2026, discusses the importance of global branding during a cross-cultural event organized by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and World Trade Center-Kansas City; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
The invitation-only event — which coincided with Argentina’s independence day — brought together business executives, community leaders, and public officials for a conversation centered on leadership, high-performance organizations, and the strategies behind Argentina’s World Cup-winning program.
“What really impressed me — especially as I looked at the work we’re doing with KC2026 and KC House — was seeing how intentional you are about building this global brand, strengthening partnerships, and creating connections everywhere you travel,” noted Tracy Whelpley, director of regional impact for KC2026. “Championships like the World Cup capture the world’s attention, but to see the work this team does to support this global brand through discipline, consistency, and building relationships has really been impressive.”
Argentina fans rally for a banderazo at Mill Creek Park near the Country Club Plaza ahead of the quarterfinal match between Switzerland and reigning World Cup champions Argentina at Arrowhead Stadium (renamed Kansas City Stadium for the World Cup); photos by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Argentina’s group-stage match in Kansas City — a 3-0 victory over Algeria with a Lionel Messi hat trick — and its round of 16 match against Egypt — where the team was down 2-0 with 11 minutes and still pulled out the victory — provide metaphors for what it’s like to grow a football federation into a global brand, Vain noted.
“When you’re building something — a brand, an agreement, or a global footprint like AFA has – It’s very rare that we get the 3-nil win,” he explained. “Most of the time, it’s like the Egypt match. You take your hits, you stay patient, and when you least expect it, the breakthrough comes.”
Vain and Peterson — who said AFA is working on building its brand presence in the U.S., where sports and entertainment are fused — both praised their time in Kansas City, with Vain calling the city one of the great hosts of this World Cup.
“We truly feel at home here,” Peterson said in Spanish, before he received an Argentina MADE MOBB scarf and Sandlot Goods pennant from Lucas. “We chose Kansas City, and it has really turned out to be the right decision.”
Quinton Lucas, mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, presents Leandro Petersen, chief commercial and marketing officer of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), with a Team Argentina scarf produced by Kansas City streetwear company MADE MOBB. Lucas also gifted Peterson a pennant from Sandlot Goods; photo by Naomi Hill
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