You may have noticed America’s Cup took a hiatus (for various personal reasons) but it’s… so back. We’re now finally in 2026 and you can be sure of a stretch of new episodes as we approach the tournament.

In the first episode back, the spotlight is on Kansas City, the only' “true Midwest city” hosting matches this summer. That’s according to Jonathan Knecht, senior VP of creative and marketing at the Kansas City Area Development Council.

Talib chatted to Jonathan a few weeks ago (shout out to the holiday tree), but since then, KC has grown in hosting stature, claiming team base camps for three World Cup giants—Argentina, England, and the Netherlands—as well as African hopefuls Algeria.

So, what exactly does Kansas City have to offer? And even if it can attract global visitors, how will it sustain the world’s economic attention after the party has gone?

00:00 What happened to the Chiefs?

00:46 America’s Cup returns

02:06 Argentina opener, base camps & KC’s surging demand

03:24 Guest intro, selling Kansas City to the world

04:13 Kansas City 101

07:18 KC’s economy & big brands

10:28 Short-term tourism vs long-term investment

12:25 Hosting Messi and potentially Ronaldo

15:46 Small businesses & soccer culture

18:52 The “Taylor Effect” on KC growth

22:22 Immigration red tape, ticket prices & access

27:02 Measuring success

30:17 Final pitch

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