CPKC Stadium Wins Best Stadium Experience Award at World Football Summit Madrid 2026

KANSAS CITY (Sept. 3, 2026) — CPKC Stadium, the first stadium in the world purpose-built for a women’s professional sports team, won the Best Stadium Experience Award, the World Football Summit (WFS) announced on Thursday. The award, presented by Stadium DB, will be formally presented at the WFS Awards 2026 in Madrid, Spain on Sept. 15. 

Created in 2017, the WFS Awards recognize the professionals and organizations whose work elevates the game, expands the business and deepens its impact on society, while honoring the essence and values of the sport. Stemming from business innovation to social impact, this year’s awards featured 12 categories with nearly 200 total nominations representing 50 different countries.
 

“We are honored that CPKC Stadium received this incredible distinction from the World Football Summit, said Kansas City Current President Raven Jemison. “This global recognition is a testament to our staff, fans and everyone else who helps contribute to CPKC Stadium’s unparalleled matchday experience and cements the fact that there’s nothing like seeing the Kansas City Current play at home.” 

CPKC Stadium was nominated alongside ASICS Satoyama Stadium in Japan, home of FC Imabari, and the Estadio Monumental, home of Argentina’s River Plate. This is the first year that the WFS Awards have featured a Best Stadium Experience category, which celebrates the stadiums, clubs and organizations that redefine what matchday can mean for football supporters. 

The Best Stadium Experience, presented by Stadium DB, was voted on by an international jury that included of Maddalena Cannarsa, Associate Principal at Populous; Andrew Edge, Associate Director at Arup; John Roberts, Director at AFL Architects; and Nick Tyrer, Associate Director at BDP Pattern.

The Kansas City Current made history on March 16, 2024, when CPKC Stadium first opened its doors for the Current’s inaugural match at the venue. Since then, the Current has sold out 39 consecutive NWSL regular season and postseason matches with a capacity crowd of 11,500 fans. In 2024, the Current became the first club in NWSL history to sell out every single regular season home match, repeating the feat in 2025. 

In addition to being the home of the Current, CPKC Stadium has hosted record-setting crowds at USA Women’s Rugby matches, a United States Women’s National Team soccer friendly, the 2025 Premier Lacross League and Women’s Lacrosse League’s All-Star Weekend, the 2025 NCAA Women’s College Cup and a variety of other non-soccer events. 

CPKC Stadium was named to TIME’s Annual List of World’s Greatest Places in 2024 and received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) Gold certification that same year, becoming the first LEED Gold certified stadium in the state of Missouri. CPKC Stadium was also named a 2025 Professional Sports Field of the Year recipient for the venue’s excellent playing surface. 

The full list of winners for the WFS Awards 2026 can be found HERE. More information about the World Football Summit can be found HERE.