Kansas City Chiefs are ready to turn over revamped Arrowhead Stadium to FIFA for the World Cup

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — More than three decades ago, Lamar Hunt and his son Clark stood on the field inside Arrowhead Stadium, trying to pitch FIFA on the prospect that their NFL stadium could play host to World Cup games hosted by the U.S. in the summer of 1994.

Their pitch back in 1990 didn't work. Or at the very least, the results took quite a while to come to fruition.

But now, after the Kansas City Chiefs poured millions of dollars into altering their 53-year-old stadium so that it could fit the field dimensions required by soccer's global governing body, the dream of the Hunt family is about to become a reality. Their stadium will host six pool-play games beginning next month, along with a round of 32 match and a World Cup quarterfinal.

"Clark has been keen on really living that legacy, finding a way for Kansas City and Arrowhead Stadium specifically to host World Cup matches," Matt Kenny, the Chiefs' executive vice president of operations and events, said Monday during a stadium tour.

The first match at Arrowhead Stadium will feature defending champion Argentina against Algeria on June 16. Ecuador and Curacao will play the following week, while Tunisia will play the Netherlands and Algeria will face Austria later in pool play.

The two knockout games are scheduled for July 3 and July 11, after which Arrowhead Stadium will revert to a football stadium.

The Chiefs expect to play their first preseason game about a month later.

All of the games played in the U.S. will be played in the homes of NFL teams, from MetLife Stadium — the home of the New York Jets and Giants — to Levi's Stadium outside San Francisco and SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles. But what makes Arrowhead Stadium unique is that it was built in 1972, in a much different era for professional sports, and the notion of hosting soccer matches was never a thought.

To accommodate the larger field, several rows of permanent seats were removed from the north sideline, which is where the visiting team is on NFL game days, and replaced with modular seating for use during the football season. Those seats were then removed again when Arrowhead Stadium began to transition into a soccer venue.

For World Cup purposes, it will be known as Kansas City Stadium.

Perhaps an even bigger upgrade came to the playing surface itself. The Chiefs installed an air system beneath the field to help with the quality of the Bermuda grass pitch, which was re-sodded with a different shape crown for the World Cup matches.

“FIFA has some basic requirements in respect to playability. They want consistency with the way the ball bounces. Obviously, the width and the size of the pitch across venues,” Kenny said. “It's been the better part of 10 years from the bid to actually executing the matches here, and it's been a massive collaboration.”

The work is not quite done. Even with teams due to arrive in only a few weeks — Argentina, England, the Netherlands and Algeria will be based in the area — cranes were still working Monday to remove signage to avoid sponsorship conflicts, and putting up the fanfest, pavilions and other infrastructure that will consume vast areas of Arrowhead Stadium's expansive parking lots.

Don't expect the kind of robust tailgating experience folks are accustomed to seeing in Kansas City, either. The majority of fans will be bussed into Arrowhead Stadiums from satellite parking areas, and only a few thousand parking spots will be made available.

“The challenges were really tied to us understanding exactly what FIFA needed, what we could do to balance our unique situation,” Kenny said. “We're hosting a quarterfinal match, so that's a testament to our planning and the work that's been done.”

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

FILE - The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers play during the second half of an NFL preseason football game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Aug. 24, 2019. There are 23 venues bidding to host soccer matches at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

FILE - A general overall interior view of GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium during the first half of an NFL football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — For all the superpowers Anthony Edwards possesses on the court, his pristine physical condition has proven to be the most valuable trait for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the NBA playoffs this year.

“Honestly, I think he would just now be coming back if he was like a normal human being, but he’s not,” teammate Mike Conley said after Edwards scored 16 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter to fuel a Game 4 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday that tied their second-round series at two games apiece.

“We’re thankful for what he’s sacrificing for us and putting us on his back," Conley added. "We expect it from him. He expects it. So we just try to keep him healthy, keep him going forward.”

After returning from a hyperextended left knee that caused a deep bone bruise in nine days, Edwards had 18 points in a 25-minute reserve role to help the Timberwolves take the opener from the Spurs on the road on May 4. Edwards was back in the starting lineup for Game 3 at home on Friday and played 41 minutes.

He logged 40 minutes in Game 4 and was on the floor for the entire fourth quarter, a move coach Chris Finch made only three times during the regular season. Edwards also played the final 12 minutes in the opener of the first-round series at Denver on April 18, one week before his latest injury.

“Man, I’ve been doing a lot of stuff to get in shape. I've got the best physical therapist in the world when it comes to my body, David Hines, so big shoutout to him,” Edwards said, referring to the team's vice president of medical operations and performance. “He’s on a whole other level when it comes to that stuff.”

Edwards was limited to a career-low 61 games during the regular season, largely because of persistent pain in his right knee. Before 2025-26, he never missed more than three games in any season.

“We’re lucky to have him. He’s special, no doubt, especially given what he’s been fighting through over the last month and a half,” Finch said.

Edwards shot 13 for 22 from the floor on Sunday, including 3 for 5 from 3-point range. He took advantage of Victor Wembanyama's stunning ejection by getting to the rim, too, including a crucial finger-roll layup he dropped in through traffic with 2:24 left for a four-point lead in the 114-109 victory.

Edwards was hesitant to express much satisfaction afterward, chiding himself and the rest of the starting lineup for a lackluster third quarter while revealing that, yes, even he has his physical limits.

“I was gassed a little bit," Edwards said, "so I came out like super low on energy, just walking up and down the floor.”

His performance had more to it than simply determination and durability, though. On Mother's Day, Edwards acknowledged a deep sense of motivation and purpose in Game 4 in honor of his late mother, Yvette Edwards, who died of cancer in 2015 when he was just 13. His grandmother also died later that year.

“I couldn't lose this game for her," Edwards said before praising the support he has received from family members and close friends in Atlanta over the last decade since losing his mom and grandma. “It’s not a bunch of people that's just willing to do anything you say. These people really want to see me succeed, and they don’t let me take a day off. They stay on me.”

With that, the intensely private Edwards quickly shifted the focus in the postgame interview room at Target Center back to basketball.

“So I appreciate everybody that’s in my circle, but that’s enough about me," he said. "Just ask about my team.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet (7) during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball second-round playoffs series in Minneapolis, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) drives against San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball second-round playoffs series in Minneapolis, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts after scoring against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball second-round playoffs series in Minneapolis, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)