Overview
- Cleanup crews have begun removing fan infrastructure from the National World War I Museum Fan Fest site and the area around GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, with the 65-foot heart sculpture disassembled for relocation.
- KC2026 estimated Fan Fest attendance at more than 300,000 before final counts, a figure organizers say underscores the large public turnout and local engagement around the tournament.
- Mayor Quinton Lucas has pledged to keep the heart in Kansas City and floated using the One Percent for the Art component of a proposed Royals downtown stadium deal as one funding option.
- City leaders and Sporting Kansas City ownership say the World Cup increased local interest in soccer and could drive higher youth participation and additional soccer events that boost the regional economy.
- Kansas City officials are advancing bids for the 2031 Men's Rugby World Cup and seeking inclusion in a 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup bid, with near-term funding and placement decisions set to determine how much of the tournament's physical legacy stays permanently.