(July 17, 2026) – As the final whistle sounded on July 11 and Argentina advanced to the quarterfinals with a three-to-one victory over Switzerland at Kansas City Stadium, another team celebrated a successful outcome, and health care providers across the region began winding down their World Cup operations.
Why it worked
Long before the first fans arrived, regional health care leaders, public agencies and event organizers prepared for one of Kansas City's largest events: the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Their goal was straightforward yet significant: to keep fans, visitors and residents safe while the world watched.
The result was a tournament experience in which health care needs were quietly met.
"We didn't want health care to become the headline of this event," said Brian Beaver, MD, the lead of the KC2026 Host City Health and Medical Committee and a physician dual board-certified in Emergency Medicine and EMS/Disaster Medicine. "We've really done a great job meeting that goal, and I'm very proud."
How it worked
Through the KC2026 Host City Health and Medical Committee, health care preparations were made for capacity planning, medical infrastructure, emergency preparedness and communication efforts across the metropolitan area.
Below are some regional products of this planning:
- Multilingual messaging that prepared visitors for heat, severe weather, pharmacy access and appropriate use of emergency and urgent care services
- Care pathways for players, VIPs, visitors and residents
- Monitoring of hospital capacity, emergency department activity and EMS resources throughout the tournament
- Planning for mass casualties and extreme heat was also carried out
- Onsite care operations at FIFA™ matches and events
Read this article for a comprehensive look back at how hospitals across the city prepared.
Heat mitigation efforts proved especially important during some of the hottest match days of the tournament, when medical teams at Kansas City Stadium set up cooling stations, hydration support, and rapid treatment areas to help fans recover quickly and return to the event. Despite stretches of extreme summer heat, most patients at matches were treated on-site without the need for EMS transport or additional care.
This, in combination with the uninterrupted care for existing patients, exemplifies the difference a year+ of thoughtful planning can make.
Exceeding expectations
FIFA leadership praised health care planning.
During a Round of 32 match, a FIFA medical official said, "Absolutely not. We would not change a thing in KC," when asked whether there was anything they would change about Kansas City's medical operation.
For planners, the compliment underscored the commitment of hundreds of health care workers and community partners who spent months preparing for the global event. Health and medical leaders agree that collaboration was the driving force behind the success of both the planning and tournament operations.
One example of this regional collaboration in action was the partnership among Missouri State Emergency Management Agency's Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team-1 (MO DMAT-1), Missouri Behavioral Health Strike Team and the Children's Mercy's Kansas Pediatric Medical Specialty team, which provided comprehensive care for adults and children at MO DMAT-1's fully equipped medical tent sites near Kansas City Stadium, Fan Fest and the Power & Light Entertainment District.
The impact of this collaboration will be felt for years to come, serving as a reminder of what health care organizations can accomplish when they work together toward a common goal. The relationships, coordination and lessons learned from the World Cup will help strengthen future responses to large-scale events and other regional challenges.
--Larry Van Der Wege