The Kansas City mayor on housing England at World Cup 2026, ICE fears and Trump’s ‘bluster’

Come June, England will be headed for the heart of America. Their journey will take them to Dallas, Boston and New York; if they get their wish, all the way back there for the final. But their base will be in Kansas City , the nearest big city to the geographical centre of a huge country. They will be joined there by Argentina and the Netherlands, who also selected it for their training grounds.

For Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas , a summer that could see the Arrowhead Stadium host a quarter-final between Argentina and Portugal, potentially the last clash between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, can put his part of Missouri on the global map. “It’s really probably the most amazing large-scale event we have ever hosted,” he said, anticipating 600,000 visitors to his hometown. “The global focus is a dramatic shift for us. And so we are looking forward to leveraging the moment not only to expand the brand of Kansas City, almost like a 1996 Atlanta Olympics-type approach, but to also take the opportunity to brand the best of America: our openness, our kindness, our friendliness and the welcoming atmosphere that many others in the world may not be perceiving all the time right now.”

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England will call Kansas City home for the 2026 World Cup - but division outside the camp threatens to mar the tournament on the whole (AFP/Getty)

Which is a sign that, while Kansas City is a long way from coasts or borders, Lucas recognises concerns about the direction the United States is heading , about ICE and the Trump administration, about the reputational damage to a country that has alienated some allies and targeted some foreigners. He shares some of them, but also has a belief there is a mutual interest in making this World Cup peaceful and popular, not bloody and brutal.

Kansas City has already won some battles, prevailing over some larger and better-known places; with six matches and three countries based there, it made a positive impression, including on the English FA. “We in Kansas City call ourselves the soccer capital of America,” Lucas added. “We have outstanding, state-of-the-art facilities.” England missed out on their preferred training base but still liked Kansas City and chose the Swope Soccer Village. “Really an exceptional facility,” Lucas said. “For me as a mayor, what's more exciting, that is a majority Black area of the city. It crosses over what was a long-term segregation dividing line.”

Now the United States looks more divided than it has done for decades; it has also separated itself from old friends. Some have even suggested skipping the World Cup, especially if Greenland is invaded . “There's a long-term relationship that the United States has, particularly with a number of European countries that all recognise that we will get through this moment as we have in the past,” Lucas said. “So while we hear boycott discussions, I understand them and I respect them. I understand as well that many people still have a positive view of the American people more broadly. I think they can distinguish what's going on at the administration level from what's happening on the ground in, say, Kansas City.”

Lucas, a Democrat, is no cheerleader for Donald Trump ’s administration. “The president and I don’t share views on most things,” he said. Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) are a point of division. They killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two Americans, in Minnesota in January. Lucas understands why their presence could be off-putting at the World Cup but sought to reassure visitors.

“I spoke to Tom Homan, who is the Homeland Security czar, yesterday about issues relating to ICE,” he said. “I think you will see coming from the administration a change in the Secretary of Homeland Security, a renewed focus on, frankly, hardened criminals, looking at their removal, not necessarily the dragnets that have existed around certain American cities, Minneapolis being the most prominent example. Many people recognise that recent months have not reflected the best of America. I think the president, although he won't say it, also recognised that in changing out Kristi Noem , the Homeland Security Secretary. All those things suggest to me that what we will try to do is ensure that there is a clear public safety focus on this summer's games, rather than perhaps political shenanigans going into our 2026 midterms.”

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Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas believes there is a mutual interest in making this World Cup peaceful and popular (Getty)

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Some have suggested skipping the World Cup , especially if Greenland is invaded by the US (AFP via Getty Images)

And yet it feels pertinent that ICE seem to target the Latino population. Both Argentina and Ecuador will play in Kansas City. Lucas notes that Trump is politically aligned with Javier Milei, the far-right president of Argentina, but worries for supporters of both countries nonetheless.

“I think it is very much a concern,” he said. “Anti-Latino discrimination is something that we worry a lot about. And much of what you're seeing from ICE has been targeted around particular minority ethnic groups. It's fairly recent that the current administration has modified the immigration process. And so what I would argue is it's not that hard to go back to something that seems to be sane, seems to be consistent, and frankly is something that is not as terrifying for those who are looking to come here.”

In one respect, however, Kansas City is not Minneapolis. Both have Democratic mayors but Missouri is a Red state, with a Republican governor and senators. That could spare Kansas City some of the vindictive treatment Minneapolis received.

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Missouri’s status as a Red state could spare Kansas City some of Trump’s vindictive treatment (Getty)

“I think this is one place where having Republican leadership in the state is actually helpful,” Lucas explained. “They are more likely to have had those conversations in advance. I think some of the Minnesota effort was the president looking to, let's say, pick on officials, with whom he disagreed, including in the prior elections, the vice-presidential candidate [Governor Tim Walz].”

But timing may help. Lucas noted: “I'm glad that this World Cup is happening a year-and-a-half in President Trump's second term rather than in the first three months. I think it's fair to say that this has been in January or February or March of 2025, there could have been outright chaos.”

Now he hopes lessons have been learned. “I expect collaboration with major American cities, which is where most of the games themselves are. And then I expect after that, that to the extent that there's a focus on security and the security apparatus, it's more of the FBI, others who are trying to make sure venues are safe, rather than trying to terrify all of our attendees.”

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(Getty Images)

Some of those attendees may be put off by the increasing difficulty in entering the United States. Proposals tourists would have to provide a five-year social history when applying for Estas indicate the land of the free is scarcely the land of the free speech.

“I think, first of all, it's an abdication of good public policy,” said Lucas. “I don't think that it is the strongest way for us to try to build a welcoming environment. I'm trying to convince people from around the world to spend $10,000 or more to come to the United States. And I think a challenging visa process where people say ‘it's not worth it is a very real concern.”

But he noted, self-interest can rule with Trump, which could benefit the World Cup . “I'm certain that the president wants it to be successful,” he said. Reflected glory would suit the inhabitant of the White House, just as it might in the 2028 Olympics.

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Self-interest can rule with Trump, which could benefit the World Cup (Getty Images)

“There's a lot of bluster,” Lucas said. “There's a lot of bluster every day with this president on a number of issues. That being said, I think in execution, they don't have an interest in making these a toxic set of World Cup matches. And that's why we continue to plan for numbers like the 600,000 I mentioned.

“I cannot promise a world in which there will be no hiccups, no concerns. I can say with pretty strong confidence the White House wants this to be a success. Republican leadership in states like Missouri and Texas want this to be a success. And I think that everyone is interested in making sure that this is something that is pulled off well, not something where everyone stays home and we're playing in front of half-empty stadiums.”