Startland Special Feature
Kansas City 2026 World Cup
Welcome to Startland's hub for Kansas City-infused merch, arriving just in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Kansas City small businesses, entrepreneurs and non-profits are joining the action this summer with limited edition merchandise to showcase their own global appeal. Check out selections from local brands below.
(Product links connect you directly to local retailers. Startland has no stake in these sales.)
Are we missing something? Send additional merch suggestions to news@startlandnews.com
Café Corazón
Jersey Café Corazón
Designed to embody the energy of Café Corazón, this jersey represents more than sport, it’s culture, identity, and the fusion of Latin heritage, art, coffee, and community. Whether worn on match day or in everyday life, this piece carries the spirit of Argentina and the heart of Café Corazón.
Johnson County United
Unisex Tri-Blend Shield Tee
Rep Johnson County as the community rallies this summer for World Cup festivities. Dozens of apparel variations.
Leawood For the Goal!
Men's Zone Performance Quarter-Zip Pullover
Apparel features the shield of the Leawood For the Goal! campaign. Dozens of design variations available.
Stories About the World Cup
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Mr K winner sipped deeply with community; now it’s savoring Small Business of the Year accolades
Built at the crossroads of coffee and cultural placemaking, the KC Chamber’s just-announced Small Business of the Year has brewed more than a thriving family business — it’s a story steeped in creating space for the region’s Latin and Indigenous communities alongside incoming FIFA World Cup visitors.
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Boulevard’s Easy Orange ale makes Dutch fans’ bucket lists as World Cup anticipation ferments
Boulevard Brewing Co.’s Easy Orange limited-edition summer ale was so popular in 2025, the Kansas City brewery planned to roll it out again this year — long before Kansas City was announced as the FIFA World Cup base camp for the Netherlands.
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Visitors will never guess what KC has in store for World Cup: Inside Open Doors! new shops
Bubble and slime play. Vegan Mexican cuisine. A jazz listening room. The variety and depth of Kansas City’s wide-ranging small business community will pop when visitors near and far arrive for the FIFA World Cup, said Nia Webster, calling out a compelling list of entrepreneurs selected for the city’s Open Doors! program.
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Get in the game: World Cup match lights opportunity (but only if a risk-taker is willing to strike)
“FIFA isn’t thinking about Kansas City’s legacy. That’s up to us,” said Rich Chungong, a serial tech founder and cryptocurrency enthusiast who turned his attention to community organizing around the World Cup once it became clear leaders needed to step up.
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Closing time: KC nixes 23-hour drinking plan for World Cup; select bars, restaurants can stay open until 5 am
“The ordinance expands opportunity for our businesses while ensuring the police department, first responders, and the City have the tools to keep residents and visitors safe,” Mayor Quinton Lucas said.
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Can’t say World Cup: Kansas City restaurants struggle to navigate FIFA copyright rules
When Joyce Watts of Boujee Bakery began to update her website with promotions to lure soccer fans to her location east of downtown, she ran into an unexpected roadblock: “FIFA World Cup 2026” is protected intellectual property.
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Language skills might be World Cup advantage for Independence Avenue eateries
Inside the colorful Mexican mercados, carnicerias, taquerias, cafes, panaderias and paleterias accenting Independence Avenue, Spanish is the first language for most shop owners and their customers. “We will do everything we can to understand them,” said Antonio Garcia, the 21-year-old manager of Frutopia, who speaks not only fluent Spanish, but also English and conversational Arabic.
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Why KC’s international restaurants fear being overlooked by World Cup fans
“We have such a diverse concentration of immigrants and refugees who don’t know how to promote themselves, so we’re starting to highlight some of the hole-in-the-wall gems that you might just walk by,” said Northeast Chamber president Bobbi Baker.
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World Cup lures Kansas Citians off sidelines, into short-term rental market
With the FIFA World Cup expected to draw crowds of visitors to Kansas City this summer, some locals are becoming short-term-rental hosts for the first time, turning spare rooms, guest houses or entire homes into temporary lodging for soccer fans.
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KC wants World Cup dollars spread further; Here’s why Airbnb is investing in a metrowide economic base camp
A newly announced strategy aims to boost spending throughout neighborhoods and small businesses across the metro — spreading out FIFA World Cup gains like the roughly $105 million in economic activity in June and July tied to short-term rentals alone.
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