A state lawmaker from Kansas City says landing the World Cup in 2026 would provide a huge economic boost for Kansas City and for Missouri.
The “Kansas City Star” notes Kansas City is one of 17 finalist U.S. cities to host 2026 World Cup matches.
State Rep. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, tells Missourinet that landing a World Cup would mean four to six games in Kansas City, which would involve four to six nations.
“If you think about the Super Bowl, which is the most-watched sporting event in the United States, there’s something like 150-million people that watch the Super Bowl,” Razer says. “There’s something to the effect of 3.5 billion who follow the World Cup.”
Razer says that would be a “lot of eyeballs and visitors,” adding it would put Kansas City and Missouri on the world stage.
“And then you get those four games, you get those four fan bases coming in from these countries from all over the world, it would be a huge economic boost initially plus putting Kansas City and the state of Missouri on the world stage,” says Razer.
He notes the impact on tourism and hotels as well. He’s praising the governors of Missouri and Kansas for ending the economic “border war,” and says both states and municipalities on both sides of the state line must work together on the World Cup.
The “Star” reports if Kansas City is awarded games, they would be played at Arrowhead Stadium.
Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with State Rep. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, which was recorded on August 9, 2019:
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