Kansas City has a lot for which to thank Kathy Nelson. She not only secured the bid to make Our Town one of the FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities, but she also used “delightfully persistent” persuasion to convince Pam Kramer to take the job of CEO of KC2026, the non-profit organization spearheading the operations of FIFA World Cup 2026. Our metro area, the smallest city of the hosts, home to four national teams, and greeter to literally thousands of soccer fans, has landed in the lap of the capable yet modest, competent, qualified, and enthusiastic Pam Kramer.
Quote: “The smallest host city is the heart of FIFA World Cup!”
Who is she? A native of central Missouri, and a graduate of Benedictine College as an English and journalism major, Pam found herself working at Sprint in the early 1990s, when sports marketing came calling. Sprint’s sponsorship of the World Cup in 1994 set her on a path that led to working with and for The Chiefs, The Kansas City Current, and the Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation. All of her professional positions entail work that uses words like: analyst, marketing, strategic communications, charitable involvement, measurable business results, inaugural brand launch, operations, relationships, and performing at peak levels. In between all of the high-level career advancements, Pam met her husband, Kevin, at Benedictine College, and they now have two grown daughters.
Why did she want to do this job? Pam believes strongly in the idea that bringing “big-time” things like this tournament to Kansas City will, “…encourage young people and their families to live and stay in the city. It’s a great place to live, invest, and raise a family.” She is quick to recognize that we have a certain hospitable charm here, and she is eager to share that welcoming spirit with the rest of the world. Citing the excitement of the local volunteers, she added, “They were lining up to be screened for volunteering before we were even ready! Kansas City is the smallest host city, and the region is characterized by coming together to ‘play bigger than we are,’ which contributes to the local enthusiasm for the event.”
What are the biggest challenges? Transportation, without a doubt, has caused the most consternation among invested parties prior to the big event. “We lack transportation to the stadium on match days, and we have a complex geography split by a state line.” Pam is working with her team to fill all of the gaps, and they have added 15 direct routes to and from the FIFA Fan Festivals using motorcoach buses. Providing hotel rooms, security, transportation (above and beyond stadium travel), food and drink venues, volunteers, and emergency services are among the other big challenges. But, her team has made a commitment to work with public and private sectors, including the business community and local sports teams like the Chiefs, Royals, and the Current to make it all work.
What makes it so exciting? “Three of the top seven teams have selected Kansas City as their base camp, including the reigning world champs, Argentina. I hope the visitors and the teams will feel the ‘distinctly’ Kansas City welcome and hospitality. The event scale is massive – three countries and 16 cities. This project will leave a blueprint for future large events in our metro, such as The Super Bowl.”
What’s the plan? Here is the plan according to the numbers:
- Four team base camps, which include operational support – Sporting KC Performance Center, Swope Soccer Village, KC Current Training Center, and The University of Kansas multi-sport facility
- Six matches in Arrowhead Stadium from June 16th to July 11th
- 18 days of FIFA Fan Festivals scheduled for June and July on the south lawn of The National WWI Museum and Memorial (free to the public with access and capacity guidelines)
- Moving approximately 60,000 people to and from the stadium six times, and 25,000 people to and from the Fan Fests multiple times
Kansas City, guided by Pam Kramer and her team, is poised to be the biggest little host city hoping to have a great reputation for throwing an enormous party celebrating the most popular sport in the world. We can all be a part of the fun by supporting local businesses, hosting watch parties, welcoming fans, and rolling out the red carpet for the teams. In doing so, we are encouraged to speak the language of “football” for a summer: It’s a pitch, not a field; it’s a match, not a game; it’s a goal line, not an end line; it’s a keeper, not a goalie; it’s a clean sheet, not a shutout; it’s a kit, not a uniform; and it’s nil, not zero! Have fun, everyone! For more information, visit kansascityfwc2026.com.
Featured in the April 18, 2026 issue of The Independent
By: Anne Potter Russ
