Beau McCall, Johnson County lead coordinator for FIFA World Cup 2026, briefed commissioners on regional planning and operational milestones Dec. 11.

McCall highlighted the group-stage matches scheduled for Kansas City and noted teams and rankings expected to visit. He walked the board through upcoming ticket windows, the random selection draw, and secondary-market options.

On transportation, McCall summarized Connect KC26 regional mobility services announced for the tournament: three lines (airport direct, region direct, stadium direct) that will serve multiple stops across the region. He said Johnson County will have stops at Nexa City Center, Mission Transit Center, Oak Park Mall and the Overland Park Convention Center for the region direct line and at Oak Park Mall for the stadium direct service. The county's own transit planning and match-day services will operate in parallel.

McCall said community planning includes fan festivals, watch parties and hospitality resources; county staff are coordinating with city partners and expect to publish additional guidance and a dynamic Johnson County United web page in the coming months.

Commissioners thanked staff for coordination and emphasized maximizing visitor engagement and economic benefit while planning for public-safety and transit needs.