The World Cup is here. Two ways to read this page.

If you are here to attend a match

Where the matches are

Arrowhead Stadium (officially "Kansas City Stadium" in FIFA materials), 1 Arrowhead Dr, Kansas City, MO 64129. East of downtown, off I-70 at the Truman Sports Complex. Not walkable from downtown.

Getting there

• RideKC special service: RideKC plans dedicated match-day shuttles from downtown and from park-and-ride sites. Check ridekc.org close to your match date.
• From the airport (KCI / MCI): KCI is 25 miles north. RideKC has a route downtown; rideshare is reliable. Plan for tournament-day pricing surge.
• By car: I-70 east from downtown. Stadium parking is reservation-only on match days. Do not assume same-day parking is available.
• Streetcar: free, downtown only. It does not go to the stadium. It is useful if you're staying downtown and want to get around the central corridor.

Where to stay

Hotel prices in the metro will be inflated for match days and the surrounding week. The downtown loop, Crown Center, Country Club Plaza, and the Power & Light District are walkable to downtown attractions but not to the stadium. Hotels nearer the stadium are mostly along I-70 east and at the airport.

Language access

Most major stadium and tourist services will have multilingual signage for the tournament. Mid-America Arts Alliance and the KC Public Library system have been training language volunteers. If you need an interpreter for medical or legal help during your visit, see newcomers — language access.

If something goes wrong while you're here

• Medical: Truman Medical Centers and KU Health are the safety-net hospitals. See healthcare.
• Emergency: 911 — both states
• Lost, confused, need information: 311 in KCMO, or 211 anywhere
• Mental health: 988
• If your hotel kicks you out / you're stranded: See crisis. Visitor status does not exclude you from shelter intake.

What to know about the city itself

See newcomers for orientation. The most important: Kansas City is two states; State Line Road is literal; "downtown" is small; the BBQ is real but the metro extends far beyond what most guides show; 18th & Vine is the historic Black district and worth your time.

If you live here and the tournament is making things harder

Mega-events do not lift the cities that host them. They redirect public infrastructure to visitors. They drive short-term rent conversion, displace low-income housing, push policing and surveillance up, and absorb city budgets that would otherwise go to long-running services. FIFA's history with host cities is well documented. KC is not different.

Watch for these

• Landlord pressure to leave: Some landlords will pressure month-to-month tenants to vacate to convert to short-term rentals. Even if you're behind on rent, you cannot be evicted without going through court. Do not sign a "cash-for-keys" agreement without talking to KC Tenants (816-533-5435) first.
• Heat: June-August in KC is brutal. Cooling centers may move or be over- subscribed during the tournament. See crisis page for cooling centers; check operating hours during match weeks specifically.
• Policing & surveillance: KCPD's tournament-policing budget has been substantial. Expect more cameras, more sweeps of unhoused people in tourist corridors, and more vehicle stops. The ACLU of Missouri and ACLU of Kansas have tracked sweep activity. If you see a sweep happening, you can document — from a safe distance, on public property.
• Anti-trafficking enforcement: Many cities use mega-events as a pretext to expand vice and immigration enforcement under the umbrella of "anti-trafficking." Sex workers, immigrants, and unhoused people are usually the ones picked up — not traffickers. If you or someone you know is targeted, contact legal aid immediately.
• Wage theft & gig labor: Tournament-related contract gigs (security, cleaning, food service) routinely involve wage theft. Keep records of your hours, photograph schedules and pay stubs. The US Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division takes complaints regardless of immigration status.
• Public services slowdowns: Permits, court hearings, social-service appointments may slip during tournament weeks. Confirm appointments by phone before showing up.

If you're being displaced

• KC Tenants: 816-533-5435
• Legal Aid of Western Missouri: 816-474-6750
• Kansas Legal Services: 800-723-6953
• KCMO Right to Counsel: 816-474-5112 · KCMO city only
• KCMO Office of Tenant Advocacy: 816-513-3200

If you're being swept (unhoused)

• You have a right to your property — it cannot legally be destroyed in a sweep without notice.
• Document the sweep if you can — date, time, location, officer names if visible.
• Hope Faith (816-471-4673) and reStart Inc. (816-309-9048) advocate for unhoused people. Tell them what happened.
• KC Mutual Aid (linktr.ee/kcmutualaid) tracks sweep patterns and supports people targeted.

If you're working tournament gigs

• Take a photo of every schedule, pay stub, and message from your employer.
• Track your hours yourself — do not rely on the employer's system alone.
• If you don't get paid: file with US DOL Wage and Hour: 1-866-487-9243. Your immigration status is not asked.
• For organizing: Workers Center of Greater Kansas City

If you want to organize

KC Tenants, KC Mutual Aid, Chosen Family Mutual Aid KC, the ACLU affiliates, and Sunrise KC are some of the groups that have been organizing around tournament impact. The give help page has links and current asks.

Tracking what happens

We are trying to document how the tournament affects the metro — displacement, sweeps, wage theft, service disruptions, the things that won't be in the official reports. If you see something, tell us. We will not publish names without permission. Anonymous accounts are welcome.