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KC2026 asks Jackson County for $9 million as World Cup plans ramp up
Summary
KC2026 told the Jackson County Legislature it expects a $653 million direct event impact from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, that nearly half of that would hit Jackson County, and requested $9,000,000 from the county to support fan-festival programming, volunteers, safety and local business readiness.
KC2026 leaders outlined regional planning and asked Jackson County for $9 million to support community engagement and local operations tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Pam Kramer, CEO of KC2026, told the legislature the tournament will be "the largest version of the biggest thing ever," and that Visit KC projects a $653,000,000 direct event impact with nearly half occurring in Jackson County.
Kramer said the organization is responsible for meeting FIFA contractual requirements after novating the hosting contract and that the Kansas City area will host six matches, including a quarterfinal. "We are operating with a sense of purpose," she said, urging the county to consider the investment to avoid scaling back programming the board controls. She described the proposed use of county funds to support the volunteer program, fan festival operations, small-business readiness and transportation coordination.
Lindsey Douglas, chief operating officer, described 18 planning areas for safety and security — from drone mitigation to cybersecurity — and detailed efforts to build regional transit nodes and lease additional buses. She said KC2026 has about 2,000 businesses signed up on an interest form and will advertise solicitations for procurements over $15,000 to broaden small-business participation.
On community access and legacy, Kramer told legislators KC2026 intends to keep FanFest largely free and to distribute economic impact across regional activations. "We want to make sure everybody has access," she said, adding the board has identified three legacy pillars: economic impact, the region's brand and expanded access to play and soccer infrastructure.
Legislators pressed staff on volunteer counts, transportation funding and how a county contribution would change programming. KC2026 representatives said about 16,000 people applied to volunteer and that they will need roughly 5,000–6,000 volunteers; they noted federal awards already received will primarily cover safety and security rather than regional transportation.
Next steps: KC2026 said its board expects to approve a final budget in December and requested that the county consider a contribution before the board finalizes commitments. County leaders said they will return a formal budget request to the legislature for consideration in November/December.
