The Sheraton Hotel in Overland Park is no longer being considered as a possible location for a World Cup team base camp, city officials have learned.
The hotel had previously been one of three in the Kansas City area being considered as a home base for a visiting national team during the 2026 international soccer tournament.
But tournament organizer FIFA recently notified city and hotel officials that the Sheraton, which is connected to the Overland Park Convention Center at 6000 College Blvd., has been ruled out because of the large size of the property.
“We will continue to work with FIFA to host any of the many other groups they’ll be bringing to the metropolitan area for the World Cup,” said Overland Park spokesperson Meg Ralph.
A base camp designation means a nation’s team would make the hotel their hub.
A team staying at the Sheraton would have used the Sporting KC Training Centre in Kansas City, Kansas, for practices during the tournament, which will run from mid-June through mid-July, 2026.
It was unclear whether the other hotels proposed as base camps are still in consideration. They are Hotel Kansas City in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and the Stonehill Lawrence hotel in Lawrence, Kansas.
Players at Hotel Kansas City would train at the KC Current training facility in Riverside, Missouri, and players at the Stonehill hotel would use the University of Kansas athletic facilities.
Representatives of those hotels did not immediately say whether they are still in the running.
National teams will select their preferred base camps after a final drawing that takes place in December.
Kansas City is one of 16 cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada chosen as a host city for the tournament, which is considered the world’s biggest sporting event.
Some 5 billion people watched the final of the last World Cup three years ago. Six matches, including the Round of 32 and the quarterfinal knock-out stages, will be played at Arrowhead Stadium.
This year’s event has been expanded to include 32 more teams, with now 48 teams playing 104 games in North American cities.
Kaylie McLaughlin contributed to this report.
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