KC Current’s Inaugural Match at CPKC Stadium is Historic Moment for Kansas City and the World

Kansas City, Mo – Kansas City made history on Saturday, March 16, as the KC Current hosted the Portland Thorns in the National Women’s Soccer League opening match of 2024 in the very first stadium in the world built for women’s professional sports, CPKC Stadium.

With the world watching, the teams faced off in a thrilling, high-scoring match, in a sold-out stadium with a crowd of 11,500 fans. The game, which was also aired live on ABC, drew 614,000 viewers—which is the second most-watched match in NWSL regular season history.

Of the fans who attended, 15 percent walked to the stadium and the bike valet station overflowed with nearly 200 bikes.  The City of Kansas City and Port KC are installing additional bike racks to allow more Kansas Citians to utilize our protected bike network and trails to access the stadium.

 Within 30 minutes of the match conclusion, vehicular traffic fully cleared, with the majority of fans biking, walking, taking the streetcar. More than 15,000 people rode the Kansas City Streetcar on Saturday, compared to the average 10,000 riders the Streetcar normally sees on Saturdays, and the thousands of fans who opted to ride the shuttle system.

“CPKC Stadium is a symbol of our community’s support and leadership for girls, women, and women’s professional sports. With a sold-out crowd to watch the Kansas City Current victory on opening day, our community showed the world what everyone has known for some time—Kansas City is a welcoming and inclusive premier sports city,” said Mayor Lucas. “Spectators around the world had their eyes on Kansas City this weekend, and we will continue to show the world what it means to uplift women, both on the field and behind the scenes.”

“Our Inaugural Match at CPKC Stadium was electric, entertaining, and unforgettable,” said KC Current President Raven Jemison. “This stadium and what has been etched in history is the tipping point in women’s sports. Kansas City is the standard-bearer. We are proud of what was accomplished, and we couldn’t have done it without the fans, our partners, the city, and PortKC. The match on Saturday was a testament to how much work it takes to change the world and our club is just getting started.”

“Female athletes have had to work harder with less since the beginning of women in sports. For decades barrier after barrier has been placed before girls and women in sports, with each methodically overcome,” said Port KC CEO Jon Stephens. “It has been the Port KC team’s honor to have knocked down the latest barrier, by helping to create the first stadium in the world for a women’s professional team. CPKC Stadium, home of the KC Current, is a legacy project for the next century, and a testament to the value of women in sports.”

The next game at CPKC will take kick off on March 30 at 2:30 p.m. CT, when the Kansas City Current will take on Angel City FC.