World Cup group, Gov. Kelly want Kansas to provide millions. Lawmakers are skeptical

KC2026, the committee overseeing Kansas City’s plans to host World Cup matches in two years, wants Kansas to provide $25 million to $35 million to help pay for the sprawling operation.

The group faces an uphill battle.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, included $20 million in her latest budget proposal, released Thursday, falling short of the committee’s goals. But top Republican lawmakers are skeptical of, if not outright opposed to, spending any significant chunk of Kansas tax dollars on an event where the central attractions – the matches – will take place in Missouri.

Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, told the Star last week he was “not too interested” in using the state budget to fund the World Cup. He said in a statement on Friday that he would look at the specifics of any proposal but remained skeptical.

“I wonder what the people of Kansas would say to me if we spent $30 million in Missouri.” Hawkins said last week. “Their money left Kansas and goes to Missouri. Wow.”

When Kansas City plays host to the World Cup in the summer of 2026, officials expect massive economic windfalls for the whole region as tourists travel from around the world. Kansas was involved in the pitch for Kansas to be a host city and the state gave Sporting KC $10 million last year to make improvements ahead of the event.

Katherine Holland, executive director of KC2026, said she was encouraged Kelly included any funding for the project. But she said she hoped to continue conversations to increase the number.

The funding would help market the event as well as plan transportation, safety and security measures.

“We don’t have a robust mass transit system that can be easily navigated by visitors coming to Kansas City,” Holland said. “Obviously the matches will be hosted in Kansas City, Missouri. I think it’s likely that the fan fest location will be in Kansas City, Missouri, but we really want to encourage visitors to explore outside just those two locations.”

While the games themselves will be at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas will host training facilities and base camps for visiting teams. Holland said that will include Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, and Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence among others.

Insufficient funding from Kansas, she said, would impact the region’s ability to put its best foot forward.

“This was always contemplated as a bi-state initiative and a regional event and I hope that we are able to deliver that from both a funding and a general activation standpoint,” Holland said.

Failure to provide funding could frustrate leaders in Missouri, where the state committed more than $50 million for the project on top of funds from Kansas City, Missouri.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas aired his frustration with regional partners on X, formerly known as Twitter, last month. He noted that the city was often expected to solve regional problems alone or pay for things like victory parades and the World Cup.

“I’ll always love this region and its many parts. But, some days I have to question ‘regionalism,’” Lucas wrote.

The mayor’s office didn’t comment by deadline for this story.

Uncertain benefits

The Kansas Department of Commerce, overseen by the Kelly administration, said the $20 million figure was chosen so Kansas would contribute a proportional amount to how much economic benefit the state would bring in from the World Cup.

While Kansas put forward $10 million last year it was not included in KC2026’s ask. And Holland said there was significant confusion around the funding, which the committee did not ask for.

“Those funds, well helpful if Sporting is kind of making improvements to Children’s Mercy Park, it’s not directly tied to our needs as it relates to World Cup spending specifically,” Howard said.

Rob Thomson, a spokesman for Sporting KC, confirmed that the funds went straight to the team.

Proponents of more funding argue the event will bring broad economic benefits across the region. People from around the world will visit Kansas City. Those folks will need places to stay and eat. They’ll have time to kill between matches and will shop and visit the city’s attractions.

“I do think we have a big opportunity with the World Cup and we’re going to be on the global stage,” Kansas Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat, said. “We’re going to be in the spotlight so I think we have to deliver very well and I think the opportunity because of this incubator could really do some major things for Kansas.”

But the promise of economic benefits is not enough to assuage all lawmakers, especially as the extent of that benefit is unclear.

Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, said he expected to allocate some money for the World Cup but would need a better understanding of the economic benefit before landing on a number.

“They’re going to ask for $30 million or whatever but it’s probably going to be something less than that if we do anything,” Masterson said. “We have no idea what team may reside in Kansas at a base camp. We might not get the Germans, we might get the Iranians, who knows. We need to look and see what the benefit is for us.”

And Rep. Troy Waymaster, a Bunker Hill Republican who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, said he wasn’t opposed to some spending but wanted to see a long term impact from those dollars and worried the project would only benefit Northeast Kansas.

“It’s very fortunate that we do have the World Cup coming to the Kansas City area, however, that is not going to benefit the rural areas of Northwest, Southwest Kansas,” Waymaster said.

Sen. Pat Pettey, a Kansas City, Kansas, Democrat who sits on the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said the World Cup may bring a large number of enthusiastic fans who will stay in Kansas City for a longer period of time.

But, she said, lawmakers need to see more numbers on what the World Cup could mean for the state.

“I haven’t totally bought in,” Pettey said. “But I do see that there’s a value of more investment.”

The Star’s Jonathan Shorman contributed reporting