Reps. Cleaver, Davids announce federal funding for World Cup security

Two Kansas City-area members of Congress announced Friday that federal funding has been approved to help cities keep visitors safe when they attend the World Cup matches next year.

Reps. Emanuel Cleaver II and Sharice Davids said in a statement that Congress has passed $625 million to support safety and security efforts in the 11 host cities, including Kansas City, during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Kansas City is set to host six matches and is expected to welcome 650,000 visitors next year in June and July, according to estimates cited by Rep. Cleaver’s office. Kansas City is also expected to host a minimum of eight teams during the World Cup.

Rep. Cleaver and Rep. Davids, both co-chairs of the Congressional FIFA World Cup 2026 Caucus, said they have worked across party lines throughout the past year to build support for federal investments in World Cup host cities.

“The 2026 World Cup is an opportunity to showcase Kansas City on the world stage, demonstrating our status as a welcoming, beautiful and first-rate city to hundreds of thousands of people from around the globe,” Rep. Cleaver said in a statement.

“However, with this temporary swell in population, it is imperative that we also increase security services for the safety of visitors and residents alike, which is no small task for an event this large.”

“Hosting the World Cup is an incredible opportunity for Kansas City—not just to welcome the world, but to show the world who we are,” Rep. Davids added. “With hundreds of thousands of visitors expected, ensuring public safety must be a top priority.”

Kansas City Sports Commission CEO Kathy Nelson said the additional funding opens the door for more fan activities.

“That money now that helps cover security costs actually allows us to have longer fan fest,” she said.

“So that’s one of the pieces is that depending on where all that money comes in, was how we were going to, as a board of directors, figure out how many days it can be open. So, I’m still working through the details. But by securing that, federal security money allows us to really fine tune our plans and actually extend them a little bit.”

Congressman Cleaver says that this round of funding is just the base of what KC will need for the soccer tournament.

“We know that we’re going to need some additional dollars, particularly on transportation,” he said. “But at this point, I think we take what we have been given and then go back and try to get more.”

He says it’s going to require funding and effort from everyone in KC to make sure that the city puts its best foot forward.

“Everything has to go right. We have no room for error,” the congressman said.

“We’re going to have people coming here from all over the world speaking many different languages. So, we’ve got to be ready for that. We’ve got to be ready to move people back and forth from Kansas City International Airport to hotels maybe as far away as Warrensburg.”

Cleaver also said that in the coming months, Kansas City needs to eliminate distractions and be its best version of itself. “We’ve got to make sure that we don’t, as a community, have any distractions before our guests arrive. We don’t need any kind of negativity in Kansas City. We’ve got one year to go. Let’s preserve the best picture we can of our community.”

Despite the planning that will come in the 11 months leading up to the first World Cup match in Kansas City, Congressman Cleaver says he’s ready to show Kansas City to the world.

“This is a time where we strut for the world and do it unashamedly,” he said. 

“I’m excited about the possibility of Kansas City shining. It gives us the legitimate opportunity to brag about our community.”

While Davids and Cleaver both expressed that KC2026 needed additional funding for security, neither voted for President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”, which contained the funding.