Argentina vs. Algeria Kicks Off World Cup Matches in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo.(KWCH) - The first World Cup game in Kansas City takes place tonight at Arrowhead Stadium, marking the start of a series of six matches in the city.

Argentina takes on Algeria at 8 p.m.

Kansas City was announced as a World Cup host city in 2022. In that time, there has been a lot of build-up.

Mercedes, from Argentina and living in Wisconsin, traveled to Kansas City for the match.

“My dad, my grandfather they all wanted to be in a world cup and they are all now in heaven, so this for me is a dream, I dedicate to them and thank all they did for me so I can be here today,” Mercedes said.

Kirstin, who lives in Wichita, said the event brings together different cultures.

“I was talking on the way home it’s so cool to see so many different cultures come together for one event. I don’t think there’s another experience you can get like that. In Kansas at least that’s pretty crazy,” Kirstin said.

One of the biggest concerns is security. The U.S. Secret Service has already logged more than a dozen drone incursions at Fan Fest, resulting in criminal and civil fines.

Brandon Bridgeforth is the Secret Service’s special agent in charge in Kansas City and the federal coordinator for World Cup security. He has spent nearly 25 years working presidential campaigns, inaugurations and some of the biggest events in the country, but he says nothing compares to this.

“The opening match I saw on the news was viewed by 1.2 billion people. Our Super Bowl last year was 600 million. So just the opening match was twice as large viewership on TV,” Bridgeforth said.

Kansas City’s police captain says every single officer will be on duty today, with hundreds from other agencies across the Midwest.

Copyright 2026 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email [email protected]