How Kansas City wooed World Cup giants to its base camps: BBQ, padel, ‘KC Kind’

When four unassuming Argentines settled in for breakfast at the Hotel Kansas City on Dec. 10, no one — not even their hosts — knew that this, a low-key visit to America’s 38th-largest city, would incite a heavyweight battle for World Cup base camps. The Argentines — soccer administrators and fitness coaches — were there to tour hotels and facilities. They were searching for a temporary World Cup home, a place where Lionel Messi and the reigning champs could live and train this summer. But they’d