Kansas City, Mo –Kansas City is officially a 2026 World Cup City. This is expected to be an economic catalyst for the city (and entire heartland) through improved infrastructure, new development, and a wave of migrants that will create a foundation for future growth.

With a sellout streak of 125 games for Sporting Kansas City, the city has already made a stance as the soccer capital of America. It has major league pro sports franchise in baseball, football, and soccer that provide support beyond the city and state. Although, aside from being a sports hub, Kansas City also provides an alternative to cheaper housing compared to cities like Denver, Austin, Nashville, Atlanta, and Portland. For residents of 15 or so states, it’s the closest World Cup city to where they reside and has the cheapest housing compared to the other 11 American host cities. During a decade where housing is more affordable than either coast, migration trends in America are shifting towards the interior.

The combination of people moving to the middle of the country in search of cheaper housing, plus the growth of soccer in America and Kansas City’s reputation as being a regional sports hub and made it a city to watch before the World Cup announcement. Now the World Cup raises the ceiling of what’s possible.

Read the full article from Bloomberg here.