All Encompassing World Cup in KC

The CWC has sort of soured my excitement for the World Cup, but I'm sure it will bounce back. Wish I could go to a game or two, though... that would be a dream.

 

The CWC crowds have been mostly a miss, but the football is good, and at times great. Miami into the QFs was more legit than I thought it would be, as there really was only one crap club in this thing and why they allowed an amateur club from New Zealand in is odd. OTOH, it's an am club with $10 million in the bank now.
I think the US is a very hard sell for this thing, as at least like this, it's new and therefore not a bit deal. Casual US sports fans will turn out for events, but this wasn't really one of those must see sort of things at any time before this year. It was kind of a joke to a lot of clubs before this year.
Is the thing only on DAZN in the US, as well? There would be a bigger audience here if, like the WCup, it was on free to air tv. But, as DAZN put up the billion for prize money, I guess it makes sense.
If this was in Germany, I'd drop in on some matches.
Remember, this thing is being staged at a time when a lot, and close to most, international fans fear traveling to the US for any reason (and are being warned not to, in the case of EU nations where the official German FMinistry statement is that if you travel to the US, expect to be detained, interrogated and deported). If the border assholdom continues, next summer might face similar problems. I mean, Bmunch fans are way more fanatical than German nats fans.
The money is insane for all none top 5 league sides, and it's quite good for them. Miami, assuming they lose to PSG, will still earn $20m in prize money. That makes a massive difference in MLS. And almost pays Messi's wages for a year.
Seattle was clearly outclassed, but they weren't embarassed. I was a bit surprised that LAFC wasn't at all good in the attack at this level (to this point, at least).
But Botafogo has been balling.
River rocks. PSG really is an amazingly good side. I've enjoyed the tourney.

 

So few details are available for the WC in KC, makes me wonder if they have any idea what is coming. Reports fluctuate, but Lawrence and KC could be the training/host location for several countries.

There's literally zero public transport here. People from every other civilized counter expect to land at an airport and have a train take them somewhere. Then then expect similar transportation to and from events in the City. Our "train", the streetcar, is nearly useless. I have heard zero about the "expanded" bus service. Hell, you can take a train from Denver airport to downtown Denver. KC....literally zero options besides renting a car.

Imagine the citizen of whatever country gets exiled to Lawrence. You land at KCI and then what? A bus to the land of chickenhawks? And once in Lawrence, how do you get around? A bus? What do you do (a trip to a barn (aka the fieldhouse)?. How do you get to Camarrowhead?

KC is a wonderful City and I hope we put our best foot forward. But for all the great things KC is, it is NOT an City that is easy to navigate as a tourist unless you rent a car and are self sufficient. That is not how people in Europe and S. America travel.

KC2026 had better get the public transport figured out. All I have seen so far is they procured 200 buses and touted some plan that includes bikes, RideKC and the streetcar as the backbone of its mobility plan. This feels like a real "fall on your face when the world is watching" opportunity.

 

The lack of detail in their transportation plan is frightening.

https://kansascityfwc26.com/wp-cont...ning-Update-Brochure_January-2025-Digital.pdf

Basically:
1) we have busses!
2) cool graphics and buzzwords
3) park and rides - literally on all corners of Greater KC. Olathe, the Legends, KCI, Liberty, Blue Springs and the old Bannister Mall (based on park and ride dots)
4) busses!
5) "multimodal"....bikes, streetcar, walking (only in downtown KC) and busses!
6) what park and rides implies is people ride to a place where they park, to ride busses!!. So, if you are traveling here from Peru, you're renting a car.

I recently flew into Denver. Took a train from airport to downtown where you could uber/walk to Coors Field, a central hang out area and hotels. That's what people from oversees will expect. If they are planning on bussing people to downtown KC, OK. There's stuff to do there. But there aren't enough hotels for the expected 650,000 visitors. I think they are planning on bussing from KCI to to Liberty, Olathe, OP, Blue Springs, etc. (based on the park and rides). Imagine coming from Brasil to watch the WC and being stuck in Blue Springs while you wait for a game. With only busses to use as transport.

I lived in Italy during Italia 90. They built metro lines to accommodate tourists in Milan that are still used today.

I'm starting to really question this.

 

On the upside, i don't know a single European willing to travel to the US these days.UEFA is trying to broker as many Euro games as possible in Canada and Mexico.
Official cautions about travel to the US might not affect the truly fantatical, as they will risk it, but those thinkin of building a (normal for Germans) national park tour around a couple matches in a 3 week trip and being discouraged on many levels.