Arrowhead Stadium is one of 11 NFL stadiums selected to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It will lead to millions in improvements to the stadium the Chiefs have called home since 1972.
Kansas City Mayor Quiton Lucas responded to comments from KCUR reporter Celisa Calacal on Twitter about the costs to the World Cup. He expects the upgrades to come from state funds and private fundraising.
He also alluded to the Chiefs’ future in the stadium. The team’s lease at the Truman Sports Complex runs through 2031, and Chiefs president Mark Donovan said recently the team could leave Kansas City for a new stadium in the suburbs.
“Only actual cost right now is $50M of improvements to Arrowhead Stadium,” Lucas said on Twitter, via Charles Goldman of USA Today. “Look for an ask to the state on that in addition to private fundraising to fund that step. That is unless the future of the stadiums chat progresses further.”
Arrowhead Stadium received $13 million in upgrades during the 2021 offseason.
Donovan said the focus for now is on the 2023 NFL draft and the 2026 World Cup but acknowledges the improvements to Arrowhead will play a part in discussions about the team’s future at the stadium.
“We’re focused on getting this right, and then, coming out of it, it’s to be part of the discussion about what comes next,” Donovan told Joshua Brisco of 810 Sports, via Goldman. “As you can imagine, a tens-and-tens-of-millions-of-dollar project that we’re going to put in to get ready for (the World Cup), that’s got to factor into those discussions and that decision, and it will.”