Quick answer: For USMNT matches → Johnny’s Tavern in the Power & Light District (American Outlaws KC’s hub). For Mexico / El Tri → Ponak’s on Southwest Boulevard. For Austria and Germany → Grünauer in the Crossroads. For the soccer-first downtown crowd → No Other Pub by Sporting KC. For an all-nations neighborhood pub → Gaels Public House.
The 2026 World Cup runs June 11 through July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and Kansas City — the self-proclaimed Soccer Capital of America — is hosting six matches at Kansas City Stadium, including a quarterfinal on July 11. FIFA is temporarily calling the venue “Kansas City Stadium,” and the slate is loaded: Lionel Messi’s Argentina opens its tournament against Algeria here on June 16, and Austria plays Group J matches in town. KC backs up the nickname with one of the most committed soccer fanbases in the country — Sporting KC and the KC Current both pack houses on match days — and a bar scene clustered in a few very walkable districts. Here are the five best places to watch the World Cup in Kansas City.
Johnny’s Tavern (Power & Light)
Power & Light District
1310 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64106
johnnystavern.com
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Johnny’s Tavern is the home of American soccer downtown: during international play it’s the hub for the Kansas City chapter of the American Outlaws, the USMNT supporters’ group, and the rest of the year it’s the official meetup for Arsenal FC fans (the KC Gooners) and a favorite of Manchester United supporters. With 64 TVs across a warm, wooden room a few doors from KC Live!, it covers every angle of the tournament — the U.S., the Premier League sides, and the marquee internationals. It’s open daily from late morning (11 a.m.), so morning kickoffs are covered.
World Cup angle: American Outlaws KC’s gathering spot for USMNT games, plus an established Arsenal and Man Utd supporters’ home — the most soccer-pedigreed room in the Power & Light District.
What’s on the screens year-round: USMNT and USWNT, Premier League, Champions League, and a full slate of American sports.
Best for: USMNT supporters and Premier League fans who want to be downtown.
Ponak’s Mexican Kitchen & Bar
Southwest Boulevard
2856 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108
ponaksmexicankitchen.com
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For El Tri, head to Southwest Boulevard — Kansas City’s historic Mexican-American corridor — and Ponak’s, a beloved institution (open since 1975) that doubles as a sports bar with one of the strongest margaritas in town, its trademarked “World-Class Margaritas.” With nearly 5,000 reviews, it’s a genuine community fixture rather than a themed room, which is exactly what you want when Mexico plays. Expect a packed, festive house and Liga MX energy on El Tri match days. One note: Ponak’s closes at 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday (10 p.m. Friday and Saturday), so a late-night kickoff may run past close — check the schedule.
World Cup angle: The natural El Tri venue on KC’s Mexican-American boulevard — community-driven Mexico support, not a corporate sports bar.
What’s on the screens year-round: El Tri internationals, Liga MX, and Chiefs/Royals days.
Best for: Mexico fans who want to watch on Southwest Boulevard with the community.
Grünauer
Crossroads Arts District
101 W 22nd St, Kansas City, MO 64108
phone: 816-283-3234
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Grünauer is KC’s premier Austrian beer hall — schnitzel, strudel, Austrian and German lagers, and a 4.7-star room in the Crossroads — which makes it the obvious base for two nations playing right here in town. Austria plays its Group J matches at Kansas City Stadium, and Grünauer is the city’s Austrian cultural anchor; it doubles neatly as a Germany venue for Die Mannschaft fans. It’s a sit-down restaurant and beer hall rather than a TV-wall sports bar, so it’s worth calling ahead to confirm they’re showing your match — and note it opens at 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and closes by 9 p.m. early in the week. For a beer-garden alternative, Kansas City Bier Company in Waldo is a German brewery that famously syncs its celebrations to Germany’s games.
World Cup angle: Kansas City’s Austrian (and German) home — perfectly timed, since Austria’s group-stage matches are at the local stadium.
What’s on the screens year-round: Major internationals and big European tournaments, with the beer-hall energy up for marquee games.
Best for: Austria and Germany supporters, and anyone who wants a stein with the match.
No Other Pub by Sporting KC
Power & Light District
1370 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64106
nootherpub.com
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No Other Pub is an official bar of Sporting Kansas City, and it’s built for big-screen soccer: a roughly 150-square-foot video wall, dozens more TVs, two bars, and games-within-the-game (bowling, billiards, shuffleboard, foosball) for the lulls. Sporting KC and KC Current supporters swarm it on match days, and during the World Cup the Power & Light District around it becomes the city’s central fan zone with the “Soccer in the City” series on the KC Live! stage. One important note: in a normal week No Other Pub is closed Monday through Wednesday and opens at 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday, so it’s likely running special tournament hours — confirm before a weekday or daytime match.
World Cup angle: The MLS club’s own bar at the heart of the Power & Light fan zone — the soccer-first downtown anchor steps from the tournament’s nightly watch-party stage.
What’s on the screens year-round: Sporting KC, KC Current, and major international soccer, plus a full slate of U.S. sports.
Best for: Groups who want the big-room, big-screen downtown experience.
Gaels Public House & Sports
Troost / midtown
5424 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64110
phone: 816-299-7668
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Gaels is the neighborhood soccer pub — a 4.7-star, Irish-themed midtown room with three bars, a patio, and over two dozen TVs that leans hard into the global game and, notably, into women’s soccer, drawing crowds for NWSL and KC Current alongside the men’s calendar. It’s a friendlier, less corporate alternative to the downtown mega-bars, with strong food, weekend brunch, and an engaged regular crowd, which makes it a great spot for a group that wants the match front-and-center without fighting the Power & Light throng.
World Cup angle: KC’s most well-rounded neighborhood soccer bar — all-nations coverage and a community feel away from the downtown crush.
What’s on the screens year-round: Premier League, Champions League, NWSL, Sporting KC, and the World Cup slate.
Best for: Fans who want a relaxed, soccer-loving neighborhood room.
