Kansas City makes cut for World Cup

In your face, Chicago. You too, St. Louis.

Kansas City made the list of cities to be included in a bid to bring the World Cup soccer tournament to the United States in 2018 or 2022.

Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser and a handful of soccer fans clad in Wizards gear watched the televised announcement at the 810 Sports Zone on the Plaza. The mayor exhaled when Sunil Gulati, the president of U.S. Soccer, said Kansas City had made the list of 18 U.S. cities. “It was a tremendous relief to hear those words,” Funkhouser said.

The USA Bid Committee will submit the bid to FIFA, the World Cup’s governing organization, in May. FIFA will announce its decision in December. The U.S. is highly likely to be named the host of either the 2018 or 2022 tilt.

Even if you’re one of those people who think soccer is for dorks and kids, the World Cup is pretty awesome. It’s like the Olympics, but with more nationalism and fewer eccentric competitions.