England soccer player quickly found out that he shouldn’t wear another team’s NFL jersey in Kansas City
The Kansas City Chiefs have the best fan base in the NFL, and the locals are proving that.
The 2026 World Cup is bringing international soccer players to Kansas City, and those players are getting a crash course in what the city is really about.
Arrowhead Stadium, the Power and Light District, and a deep roster of hotels and amenities made Kansas City a natural fit as a host city. But the foreign visitors are discovering something the locals already know: this is Chiefs Kingdom, and nobody is shy about reminding you.
“I won’t be wearing that again,” England footballer Ollie Watkins said regarding wearing a Dallas Cowboys jersey.
Most international players know the Chiefs
Players from England, Argentina, and other nations have been exploring the city during their downtime, and at least one of them found out the hard way what happens when you wear the wrong NFL jersey in town.
Yet, he still knows that because he knows the Chiefs. Kansas City has been to five Super Bowls and won three of them in the last 10 years. Patrick Mahomes is the face of the NFL. Travis Kelce is the greatest tight end of all time and is engaged to Taylor Swift, the biggest pop star on the planet.
The Chiefs aren’t just a football team in Kansas City. They are the identity of the city itself. These soccer players may have heard of the Chiefs before arriving, but hearing about a fanbase and walking through the middle of it in a rival jersey are two different experiences.
To be fair, Kansas City is one of the friendlier cities in the country. Nobody was running anyone out of town. It’s the perfect blend of Midwestern hospitality and football tribalism.
Still, there’s a lesson here for any visiting player, coach, or tourist who finds themselves in Kansas City this summer. You can wear just about anything you want. But if you throw on a Cowboys jersey, expect to hear about it. Chiefs fans have earned the right to be proud and vocal about their team. And, they exercise that right with enthusiasm.
The World Cup is going to bring millions of eyes to Kansas City over the coming weeks. Some of those visitors will leave as soccer fans who had a great time in a great city. A few of them might leave as newly converted Chiefs fans, too. Just don’t test the locals by wearing Dallas gear. Or, honestly, don’t wear a Cowboys jersey anywhere. That’s just good advice in general.