Royals hope soccer fans experience baseball during World Cup

The Kansas City Royals are hoping thousands of international fans don’t just come to the Truman Sports Complex for the pitch inside Arrowhead Stadium.Between the first match in KC and the final, the Royals play at home 13 times. Three of those games are the day before or the day after a World Cup match. It’s going to make for a busy time between the two professional sports stadiums.”It should be an energy that we don’t have every single game here because of lots of international visitors,” said Cullen Maxey, the Royals’ president of baseball operations. “And not even that, maybe lots of new visitors just to Kansas City that want to see Royals baseball.”Maxey wants to be sure it’s as easy as possible for anyone who wants to see a Royals game during the World Cup to be able to do so.”We’re definitely taking this as an opportunity,” he said. “Listen, this is a showcase for Kansas City. The Royals are a piece of that.”That’s part of the reason why Kauffman Stadium is now a stop on the ConnectKC26 tournament bus service.On each of the 13 home games during the World Cup’s time in KC, visitors and locals will be able to take a motor coach from Fan Fest in downtown KC or from Independence Center and get dropped off at the K.”We’ll be running them every 20 minutes,” Maxey said. “Drop here, run them after the game for an hour after the game, and it becomes really convenient for them.”Maxey sees this as a great chance for local fans, too.”To make it easy to make a full day of it for families, ‘Hey, we’re just going to park down here, go to Fan Fest, jump to the game, come back,'” Maxey said. “Really makes a lot of sense.”Right now, there is a KC Ride route that takes people to Kauffman Stadium on game days, but Maxey said it’s used sparingly. The motor coaches could give people a new perspective on public transportation to Royals games.KC2026 COO Lindsey Douglas expects it to be a well-used way to get to Royals games during the World Cup.”Rideshare is going to be in very high demand, and so if you’re used to taking rideshare because there isn’t a public transportation option, now there will be during the tournament,” Douglas said.The tailgating situation before Royals games will also look different during the World Cup. FIFA is taking over sections of the Arrowhead Stadium parking lots.”I think they’ll notice a lot of changes,” Maxey said. “It won’t necessarily impact the experience. What you’re going to see is basically, there’s a barrier around Arrowhead. Their back of house is on the south side. Some of the experiences they’re building for the World Cup events are on the east and west side, but only taking a portion of each of those parking lots.”Maxey said it will be noticeable but won’t have an impact on fans parking before the games.Taking a ConnectKC26 bus could potentially help save some money, as well. The cheapest parking pass at Kauffman Stadium is $21. A day pass for the motor coaches is just $5 a person.Visiting fans might not be the only first-timers at Kauffman this summer. Maxey said they’ve been in talks with the national teams that will base camp in KC, and one has already signed on to come to a Royals game.”England has absolutely already signed up,” Maxey said. “We’re finalizing that. Trying to figure out, is that something where they come early enough, where they can meet some of our professional athletes? We think that’d be pretty neat on both sides.”You can find out more information and buy passes for ConnectKC26 on the KC2026 website.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

The Kansas City Royals are hoping thousands of international fans don’t just come to the Truman Sports Complex for the pitch inside Arrowhead Stadium.

Between the first match in KC and the final, the Royals play at home 13 times. Three of those games are the day before or the day after a World Cup match. It’s going to make for a busy time between the two professional sports stadiums.

“It should be an energy that we don’t have every single game here because of lots of international visitors,” said Cullen Maxey, the Royals’ president of baseball operations. “And not even that, maybe lots of new visitors just to Kansas City that want to see Royals baseball.”

Maxey wants to be sure it’s as easy as possible for anyone who wants to see a Royals game during the World Cup to be able to do so.

“We’re definitely taking this as an opportunity,” he said. “Listen, this is a showcase for Kansas City. The Royals are a piece of that.”

That’s part of the reason why Kauffman Stadium is now a stop on the ConnectKC26 tournament bus service.

On each of the 13 home games during the World Cup’s time in KC, visitors and locals will be able to take a motor coach from Fan Fest in downtown KC or from Independence Center and get dropped off at the K.

“We’ll be running them every 20 minutes,” Maxey said. “Drop here, run them after the game for an hour after the game, and it becomes really convenient for them.”

Maxey sees this as a great chance for local fans, too.

“To make it easy to make a full day of it for families, ‘Hey, we’re just going to park down here, go to Fan Fest, jump to the game, come back,'” Maxey said. “Really makes a lot of sense.”

Right now, there is a KC Ride route that takes people to Kauffman Stadium on game days, but Maxey said it’s used sparingly. The motor coaches could give people a new perspective on public transportation to Royals games.

KC2026 COO Lindsey Douglas expects it to be a well-used way to get to Royals games during the World Cup.

“Rideshare is going to be in very high demand, and so if you’re used to taking rideshare because there isn’t a public transportation option, now there will be during the tournament,” Douglas said.

The tailgating situation before Royals games will also look different during the World Cup. FIFA is taking over sections of the Arrowhead Stadium parking lots.

“I think they’ll notice a lot of changes,” Maxey said. “It won’t necessarily impact the experience. What you’re going to see is basically, there’s a barrier around Arrowhead. Their back of house is on the south side. Some of the experiences they’re building for the World Cup events are on the east and west side, but only taking a portion of each of those parking lots.”

Maxey said it will be noticeable but won’t have an impact on fans parking before the games.

Taking a ConnectKC26 bus could potentially help save some money, as well. The cheapest parking pass at Kauffman Stadium is $21. A day pass for the motor coaches is just $5 a person.

Visiting fans might not be the only first-timers at Kauffman this summer. Maxey said they’ve been in talks with the national teams that will base camp in KC, and one has already signed on to come to a Royals game.

“England has absolutely already signed up,” Maxey said. “We’re finalizing that. Trying to figure out, is that something where they come early enough, where they can meet some of our professional athletes? We think that’d be pretty neat on both sides.”

You can find out more information and buy passes for ConnectKC26 on the KC2026 website.