Kansas City Beats Out Over 30 Metropolitan Areas in Effort to Land World’s Most-Watched Sporting Event; FIFA to Select Host Countries in December

KANSAS CITY, MO (January 12, 2010) – The USA Bid Committee announced Tuesday that Kansas City is one of 18 American cities included in the nation’s bid to Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to host either the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup™. Matches in Kansas City will be played at newly renovated Arrowhead Stadium, with ancillary activities hosted on both sides of the state line throughout the metropolitan area. Each host city would receive a minimum of four World Cup matches, pumping millions of dollars into the local economy.

The USA Bid Committee will submit its bid to FIFA in May, with decisions on host nations for the 2018 and 2022 events scheduled for December of 2010. The Kansas City / USA Host City Bid Committee is cochaired by Cerner CEO and Wizards owner Neal Patterson and Kansas City Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt.

“This is a thrilling day,” Patterson said. “Kansas Citians already know how special our community is, and now the next eleven months of bidding to host the FIFA World Cup™ will allow us to showcase our great city to the rest of the world. We look forward to helping the United States win the right to host the world’s greatest sporting event in 2018 or 2022.”

“Clark and I are very proud of the efforts of our city and region, and are honored by today’s selection as a USA Bid City. Our quintessential American City has wonderful amenities, world-class facilities, and most of all, our citizens’ famous ‘can-do’ attitude. We will keep promoting Kansas City until we are named a Host City for this great event.”

“Our family is thrilled that Kansas City has been selected by the USA Bid Committee as one of the 18 host cities in the bid for the FIFA World Cup™,” Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt said. “It was my father’s longtime dream to bring the world’s greatest sporting event to Arrowhead Stadium, and I have no doubt that Kansas City and the New Arrowhead will serve as tremendous stages for the FIFA World Cup.”

A study released previously by the USA Bid Committee indicates that the total economic impact projected for any one host city ranges from approximately $400 million to $600 million at today’s dollar value. That figure is based on 12 host cities staging five to six matches, along with ancillary venues such as the International Broadcast Center (IBC) in one city and FIFA Fan Fest™ in each city. The study also estimates 5,000 to 8,000 jobs would be created in each host city during the event’s operation.

“The fact that we are currently in 6th place among all bidding cities in the online petition effort shows that Kansas City is truly a soccer city,” Mayor Mark Funkhouser said. “We are extremely excited to continue promoting our great community around the globe through the bidding process. I pledge to do everything in my power to help bring the FIFA World Cup™ to the United States and to Kansas City.”

The Kansas City / USA Host City Bid Committee features members and expertise from a wide range of Kansas City metropolitan area public and private entities from both sides of the state line, including: The Kansas City Chiefs; Kansas City Wizards’ ownership group OnGoal, LLC; the Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation; the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association; the City of Kansas City, Missouri; the Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas; the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA); and POPULOUS, formerly HOK Sport Venue Event.

The final list of cities to be included in the United States’ bid to FIFA are: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York City, Philadelphia, Glendale-Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa, and Washington, D.C.

—www.goUSAbid.com/kc—