October 2 – Kansas City has a dream to become America’s soccer capital. From the rise of Sporting KC to the brand-new CPKC Stadium for the Kansas City Current, the city is a permanent fixture on the football map. Now, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup just months away, the organising committee is putting the pedal to the metal.
Small businesses are being called into action, with KC2026 unveiling a “Game Plan” designed to make sure local entrepreneurs can share in the expected financial windfall. “There’s so many entrepreneurial people out there and they really represent what our community is all about,” said Tracy Whelpley, director of regional impact for KC2026.
The plan, developed with input from nearly 90 organisations, is a ‘how to survive and thrive’ guide for the biggest sporting event ever to hit U.S. soil. It offers a confidential business readiness assessment, links to training, and a checklist that lets owners measure whether they’re ready for the big dance.
“It’s really to prompt people on what they need to be thinking about, and then direct them to the resources where they can start to get some of those low-cost, no-cost trainings,” Whelpley explained.
The program goes deep, covering everything from lender readiness to cybersecurity, branding, staffing up with seasonal workers, and even menu translation services for a global audience.
Kansas City, with its surging soccer scene and community-driven ethos, is determined to make sure the local game is every bit as strong off the field as it is on it.