KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Floods of Kansas City soccer fans gathered in the Power and Light District early Saturday morning to cheer on the United States Men’s National Soccer Team.
“Coming and seeing the energy and how everybody is getting excited for soccer at nine in the morning, just makes me happy,” said fan Martin Mwangi.
Despite the team’s loss against the Netherlands in the round of 16, meaning the U.S. has been eliminated from the World Cup, the crowd remained in high spirits, rooting for the U.S. until the end.
“I think we played good. I think we had a lot of missed opportunities," said Ainsley Yeretsky, a P&L watch party-goer. "But the older the team gets, the better they’ll get, 'cause it’s a really young team."
Fans say the World Cup watch parties over the last couple of weeks have gone beyond the game of soccer, uniting the city and country amidst a tough year.
“We are all here, we’re coming together. And I think that it’s a powerful time for our nation, and I really think that it brings people together. It makes us feel like we’re all the same people,” said fan Mary Kate Armstrong.
The fact the U.S. advanced to the knockout rounds was meaningful in and of itself to fans who say they are elated to cheer on their team again in 2026 — right here in KC.
“I think it’ll be really exciting, especially since Kansas City is the soccer capital of the world, or the U.S. It’ll be a good experience,” said Ava James, soccer fan.
