Kansas City, Missouri, has pulled off a remarkable feat to become a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 76,000-seat Arrowhead Stadium will stage six matches, including a potential Argentina-Portugal quarterfinal that could feature Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

With a population of just 508,000, Kansas City is the 37th most populous US city, while most other host cities rank in the top 10. The local organizing committee went to extraordinary lengths to impress FIFA officials.

When FIFA inspectors arrived late at night at the old airport, Sporting KC staff wandered the terminal to make it look busy. Hotel rooms were assigned overlooking a billboard reading 'We Want The Cup'. Outside, impromptu mini-football games were staged.

'We did crazy things,' said Alan Dietrich, Sporting KC's chief operating officer. 'The next city forgot to pick up the officials, and they waited three hours at the airport. That helped us.'

According to Jake Reid, head of the local organizing committee, Kansas City turned its weaknesses into strengths. 'Our transportation ranking was dead last. We flipped that. It's 22 minutes from the airport to Arrowhead.'

Kansas City not only secured matches but also became the base camp for Argentina, England, and the Netherlands. Algeria chose nearby Lawrence. During negotiations with England, coach Thomas Tuchel proposed getting a tattoo if they win the tournament.

The city's soccer history dates back to the 1960s. The Kansas City Spurs won the NASL championship in 1969. Today, Sporting KC and Kansas City Current represent the city professionally.

Local soccer legend Alan Mayer said, 'The public doesn't realize how much this will affect the economy and how the world views Kansas City. Hundreds of thousands of people from different nations will create an incredible atmosphere.'

Source: www.aljazeera.com