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The family of Kansas City Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt has spent decades helping to grow soccer in the United States, and that journey will reach another milestone when Arrowhead Stadium hosts matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

For Clark Hunt and Dan Hunt, the tournament represents more than a major sporting event. It is also a chance to celebrate the legacy of their father, Lamar, whose contributions to American soccer helped pave the way for the World Cup’s return to the United States.

As Kansas City prepares to host four group-stage matches and two knockout-round contests, the Hunt brothers are reflecting on the memories and vision that made the moment possible.

Clark Hunt Says World Cup at Arrowhead Would Have Meant Everything to Lamar Hunt

Some of Clark and Dan’s favorite memories of their father have little to do with what happened on the field.

Instead, they remember traveling across Europe together during World Cups, often accompanied by reporters and broadcasters. The trips included long van rides, visits to local restaurants, and adventures that became family stories.

Dan recalled one memorable experience during the 1986 World Cup when the family encountered a rare setback while traveling.

“My dad, he could eat anything,” Dan told The Associated Press. “I mean, he had a cast-iron stomach. He never got sick. And that about killed him. That was the food that took down the Hunt family.”

Those trips reflected Lamar’s lifelong passion for soccer and international competition.

Today, his sons are helping oversee World Cup operations in two of the tournament’s host cities. Clark is serving as co-chairman of the organizing committee in Kansas City, while Dan is serving in the same role in Dallas.

The connection mirrors the 1994 World Cup, when Lamar served as co-chairman of the organizing committee for matches in Dallas.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ Founder Helped Build Soccer’s Foundation in the United States

Long before Major League Soccer existed, Lamar believed professional soccer could succeed in America.

He invested in the North American Soccer League and remained committed to the sport even after the league folded in the 1980s.

Lamar later became one of the driving forces behind Major League Soccer. The league’s creation proved critical when FIFA awarded the United States hosting rights for the 1994 World Cup.

Without a top professional soccer league, the country’s bid would have faced significant challenges.

Clark Hunt told KSHB in Kansas City that his father’s belief in the sport never wavered.

“My dad loved spectator sports, and he was captivated by the fans and the singing and the chanting that he saw going on at the games,” Clark said. “He saw the vision of what these matchups could look like in the new stadiums that were being built in the American Football League.”

The vision was consistent with Lamar’s broader approach to sports. He helped launch the American Football League, which eventually merged with the National Football League after challenging the established league’s dominance.

His willingness to invest in new ideas also extended to soccer.

In 1968, Hunt co-founded the North American Soccer League, continuing his efforts to grow the game in the United States.

A Soccer Match in Ireland Sparked Lamar Hunt’s Vision

The origins of Lamar’s soccer journey date back to a trip to Ireland in 1962.

While visiting Dublin with his future wife, Norma, he attended a match at Glenmalure Park, home of Shamrock Rovers.

The experience left a lasting impression.

The atmosphere, fan support, and sense of community surrounding the match captured everything Hunt loved about sports.

A few years later, he watched the 1966 World Cup Final on television and became convinced that soccer had a future in the United States.

That belief helped shape decades of investment and advocacy that ultimately contributed to the country’s emergence as a soccer destination.

Now, as Arrowhead Stadium prepares to welcome the World Cup, Clark says he often thinks about how much the moment would have meant to his father.

“It’s going to be special,” Clark said. “And I think it goes back to thinking about my dad a lot. That’s what I’m going to do during those games, just think about how excited he would be to see the World Cup in Arrowhead Stadium.”

More than 60 years after Lamar attended his first professional soccer match, the sport’s biggest event is arriving at the stadium he once called his favorite place in the world.

“I think he would be absolutely thrilled today,” Clark told the Chiefs’ Matt McMullen. “I remember being with him down on the field, pitching FIFA, and explaining how we would get the width that international soccer requires in the stadium, but it was not able to happen that year. This would be so special for him because he loved this city, he loved Arrowhead Stadium, and he loved the sport of soccer. To have all of this really come together would be meaningful to him.”