When Kansas City Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt coined the term “Super Bowl” in 1966, hosting one was always part of the plan. But when he moved the franchise to Kansas City and rebranded the Dallas Texans into the Kansas City Chiefs, the brutal Midwest winters blocked that conversation every time. His son, Clark Hunt, is now positioned to fix that as the current owner, just not in the same building.

On Friday, April 24, Clark Hunt gave an update on the Chiefs’ $3 billion domed stadium project at a press conference introducing former linebacker Derrick Johnson as the newest member of Kansas City’s Hall of Fame.

“We’re making progress,” Hunt said. “We have a design competition that’s ongoing between Manica and Populous, and I would hope in the next several months that we’d be able to make a decision on the lead architect.”

Both the Kansas City-based firms already have a big impact on the NFL landscape. Manica has designed the Allegiant Stadium for the Las Vegas Raiders and is currently working on the Tennessee Titans’ Nissan Stadium. Populous, meanwhile, is finishing the Highmark Stadium for the Buffalo Bills. Two firms operating at that level, competing for the same contract, suggest this project is on a swift timeline. 

“We plan on bidding for Final Fours, College Football Playoff games, bowl games, and, of course, the Super Bowl,” Hunt announced. “It will coincide with the construction of several other NFL buildings, so we will have competition, but I will make sure that Kansas City and the Chiefs put their best foot forward in that process.”

The Arrowhead Stadium, being an open-air venue, is unsuitable for the biggest games in winter, not just the Super Bowl. 

The financial aspects of this project are also locked in. Kansas lawmakers voted last December to authorize STAR bonds – estimated at $2.4 billion – covering roughly 60% of the project costs. Then, in March 2026, the state authorities passed a bill creating a sports authority to oversee construction, clearing the last major political hurdle.

The new stadium will sit near Kansas Speedway and the Legends retail district in Wyandotte County. Clark Hunt is also planning a $300 million training facility in Olathe with a targeted opening in 2031.

While the design competition heats up between the two firms, the city itself isn’t waiting on the renderings. Realtors say that homebuyers and builders are already circling neighborhoods near the Wyandotte County site, betting that the value of real estate around the new stadium will skyrocket long before the construction is completed.

The final architect choice for the new stadium will still be a few months out. But before the Chiefs break ground on anything, Arrowhead will host a World Cup quarterfinal. And for Clark Hunt, it carries a deeply personal connection.

Clark Hunt’s big moment for Arrowhead

Kansas City is hosting six FIFA World Cup 26 games at Arrowhead from June 16th to July 11th, including the quarter-final. Clark Hunt has been anticipating this for decades for reasons that predate any stadium deal.

The first time Clark attended a soccer World Cup with Lamar Hunt was in 1974 in West Germany. They missed the 1978 World Cup, but attended every one from 1982 to 2002. But when his father passed away in 2006, Clark never went to another game. Now with the World Cup happening in his own city, Clark sees this as a chance to reconnect with those memories.

“Throughout the tournament, I’ll be thinking about my dad and think about all the fun memories we had attending games,” Hunt said. “Every time we see a team like Argentina play, which I saw Argentina play many times with my dad over the years, I’m going to think about him.”

“Kansas City Stadium” – the tournament name for Arrowhead – will host the following games:

June 16: Argentina – Algeria.
June 20: Ecuador – Curacao.
June 25: Tunisia – Netherlands.
June 27: Algeria – Austria.
July 3: Round of 32.
July 11: World Cup Quarterfinal.

The field (soccer pitch) at Arrowhead has notably been widened to align with FIFA specifications. The Chiefs also had to align with FIFA’s branding standards. And at his press conference, Clark Hunt shared his excitement about the event and what it brings to Kansas City.

“We’re really excited. It’s hard to believe the World Cup is a little over 45 days away,” Hunt said. “It feels like we’ve been working on it for a decade, and in some regards that’s probably true. It’s going to be a tremendous opportunity for Kansas City to be seen and appreciated on a global stage. There will literally be billions of TV viewers watching games from Kansas City.”

Even beyond this global stage, the Hunt family has a history with the sport. Lamar Hunt was one of Major League Soccer’s original investors. The family still owns FC Dallas. The World Cup landing in Kansas City is the return on a 50-year investment in a sport most American sports owners weren’t paying attention to.

Kansas City will host the World Cup with Clark Hunt in the stands, thinking about his father’s legacy.