Soccer Culture in Kansas City - A local journalists guide ahead of the world cup
Recently, L’Equipe Magazine reached out about putting together an article on soccer culture in Kansas City. With the World Cup coming to Kansas City, the goal was to prep their readers — not just with barbecue spots, but with the places that actually define the soccer scene here.
Following our submission (article and images), I figured I’d write a quick walkthrough of how we approached it, the areas we focused on, and the core spots that shape soccer culture in Kansas City.
If you’re coming here for the World Cup, these places highlight the game in the city.
And if you’re fluent in French or want to use Google Translate, you can also find the finished article here: Comment le football s'est fait sa place à Kansas City malgré la concurrence du foot US
The obvious starting point: CPKC Stadium
The Kansas City Current’s stadium is impressive. Not because it’s a big stadium but because of it’s significance to women’s sports and the attention to detail Chris & Angie long put into the experience of it. With walkability to nearby venues and locally sourced food for fans, this stadium has a lot of class and quality.
It’s beautiful. It sits right on the river. There’s energy around it even when there isn’t a match happening. You’ll see it as you cross the bridge to North Kansas City or on your way to the airport.
The training center nearby reinforces the team’s commitment to women’s sports. It’s modern, intentional, and clearly built for long-term growth.
Sporting Kansas City & Children’s Mercy Park
Then there’s Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park.
It’s been around longer, but it’s still one of the most beautiful soccer stadiums in the country. Intimate, designed for soccer, and aesthetically pleasing.
Near the stadium, you’ve got a cluster of training fields — youth games happening constantly, families posted up in lawn chairs, weekend tournaments stacked back-to-back.
Sporting created a space not just for professional soccer but for investing in the fans and future of soccer here.
youth & Training Infrastructure
Kansas City also supports the pipeline into professional sports.
Places like:
• Central Bank Sporting Complex
• Training fields across the city, including the renovated 9th & Van Brunt fields (KC Parks & Rec)
These are constantly active — kids training, club matches, tournaments. If you want to understand soccer culture in Kansas City, this is an important piece.
It doesn’t exactly have a lot of character but the facilities are great and provide space for developing players.
Indoor Culture: The soccer lot, the comets, and the soccer dome
The Soccer Lot is built in an old industrial indoor space with high ceilings and skylights for plenty of natural light. Hosts after-work games. Small-sided matches and a full bar for watching soccer with friends.
Then there are the Kansas City Comets, representing the indoor side of the game. Kansas City has always had a relationship with arena soccer, and they draw interest.
The Soccer Dome is also worth mentioning — it has the city’s only MASL size field with the largest Indoor playing space and newest FIFA Certified Sprint Turf.
Other Gathering Spots to watch soccer
We felt like soccer culture wasn’t just the stadiums but also where people spent time together watching soccer.
Pitchside Coffee - launched by former KC Current players —it is very much connected to the local soccer scene. When we were working on the article they hosted their grand opening.
Gael’s Public House - caters heavily to soccer fans on match days.
You’ll also find bars across the city opening early for Premier League mornings and international tournaments such as Johnny’s Tavern who hosts the KC Gooners for watch parties.
Pickup games are constant at the Soccer Lot and people are constantly coming and going, hopping on teams and competing.
Pick Up soccer around the city
There are pickup games all over the city — some more organized than others.
A few Facebook groups coordinate these. They shift depending on who’s organizing and the weather but if you’re visiting for the World Cup and want to actually play while you’re here, you can find a game.