Kansas City's Fan Festival was packed to the brim Saturday for its final day, as were watch parties across the metro, to celebrate the host city's final match during the 2026 World Cup.

The Argentina-Switzerland match, a quarterfinal, kicked off at 8 p.m. at Arrowhead Stadium. Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 in extra time and will play its semifinal match against England on Wednesday in Atlanta.

Aime Adogabro, a native of Argentina whose husband is from Kansas City, said immediately after the match that she was about to cry — but for a good reason, given that her home team had just advanced to the semifinal round.

"It's unbelievable," she said while celebrating at Fan Fest. "I'm so happy that all these things are happening here because I consider Kansas City my second home, my home away from home."

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A packed Fan Fest watches as Argentina defeats Switzerland 3-1 on Saturday.

Leo Lopez De Lara, 11, visited Fan Fest from Salina, Kansas, with family and was there to see the game-winning goals.

"It's exciting, and it's got a lot of energy to it," he said of the festival crowd as the match drew to a close and a wave of cheers roared in the background. "...Ope, there's another goal!"

Even for fans of Team Switzerland, the loss might be bittersweet, but there were no regrets for those who were in Kansas City to watch.

"We got to come up here to Kansas City and meet other Swiss," said Timothy Tonkin, a Switzerland native, at a watch party dripping in the team's red colors. "We're going to enjoy ... making relationships and getting to know each other. I would have never thought that the Swiss culture would have reached this far into the United States."

Fan Fest is full

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KCUR 89.3

Soccer fans pack Kansas City's FIFA Fan Festival on Saturday.

Fans from near and far were already filling Fan Fest Saturday afternoon, which featured the Norway-England quarterfinal match on the big screen as well as performances by The All-American Rejects and Tech N9ne.

Even the fictional coach of soccer club AFC Richmond — or rather, Jason Sudeikis, who plays the title character on the Apple TV series "Ted Lasso" — was hosting a watch party at CPKC Stadium near downtown Kansas City on Saturday night, the Associated Press reported.

“As much as we've loved football before we got started, I've grown to love it more as we got more immersed in the soccer culture,” said Sudeikis, who grew up in Overland Park, Kansas, and still has a deep affinity for the city.

Chihiro Kai

Kansas City's Fan Festival staff and attendees were equally invested in the final moments of the Norway-England match on Saturday.

For fans of Team Argentina, it was a return to a familiar place. The national team has been based in Kansas City for the tournament, and it previously played a match at Arrowhead on June 16. (Argentina defeated Algeria, 3-0.)

Marcus Bowman of Pensacola, Florida, has been an Argentina fan (or, perhaps more accurately, a Lionel Messi fan) for the past year. He watched Argentina play Iceland in a friendly match in Alabama about a month ago, and he has enjoyed connecting with other Argentina fans.

"They're behind their team," he said. "It's interesting as an American a lot of these other countries how important soccer is to their country identity."

Bowman said he had the opportunity to watch Messi play at the friendly match, although he started in the latter half.

"Messi, I think, brings a lot of fans to Argentina," he said. "... When he came in the game everybody was just standing up, cheering, so I expect the same thing tonight in Kansas City."

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Marcus Bowman and his son stop by Kansas City's Fan Fest to cheer on Argentina.

Bowman also had high praise for Kansas City International Airport, the streetcar and local restaurants for their embrace of the tournament and its teams.

"It's just so cool how serious Kansas City has taken the World Cup," he said.

Estuardo Reyes traveled to Fan Fest from Joplin, Missouri, to watch Argentina, the team he has supported since he was a child.

"They have a pretty good chance," Reyes said of Argentina's ability to make it through Saturday's quarterfinal to the final next weekend. "Hopefully we can come out on top."

Reyes said Kansas City has put out a "good vibe" during the World Cup.

"Everyone's here to support, even though we're on different teams, but we're all here having fun and making the best of it," he said.

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Chad Kanoff and Camila Cordara cheer on Team Argentina at Kansas City's Fan Fest on Saturday.

Chad Kanoff, of Los Angeles, and Camila Cordara, from Buenos Aires, stopped by Fan Fest in support of Argentina and Messi, who Kanoff called "the Argentinian Jesus." They said they were lucky to be here, given that plenty of flights to Kansas City were booked and full.

They said they were enjoying Kansas City barbecue (Jack Stack, to be precise) and the city's hospitality.

"I don't know how to compare and contrast with the experience of people here, but I love it," Cordara said. "I feel like everyone is chanting together, singing together. I know people in Argentina have made a lot of effort to come here. The flights are really expensive, the tickets are expensive, and everyone here is living their best life."

'Feels like I'm back home'

For Switzerland’s national team, the quarterfinal appearance marked the most games it has played at a single World Cup tournament.

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Switzerland fans at a watch party at KC Bier Co. cheer after the national team scores on Saturday, drawing even with Argentina at 1-1.

Fans welcomed the national team and visiting fans on Friday at the Power and Light District, featuring alphorns, with Mayor Quinton Lucas trying his hand at the long wooden horn.

Among Switzerland's local fans are the owners of Andre’s Confiserie Suisse near 50th and Main. Opened by Andre Bollier in 1955, the chocolate shop has remained in the family since. Now, René Bollier and his wife, Nancy, are celebrating their arrival in Kansas City with special Swiss flag chocolate squares.

“We still can’t believe it,” the store posted on Instagram of Switzerland playing in Kansas City. “The last time Switzerland reached the quarterfinals was 1954, just one year before we opened our doors. As Swiss, this is HUGE for us.”

This continues a tournament-long celebration at Andre’s, which features a tres leches chocolate for Argentina, a stroopwafel chocolate for the Netherlands and milk chocolate, toffee and almonds for England.

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Sarah Knechtenhofer, right, cheers on Team Switzerland at a watch party Saturday at KC Bier Co.

Sarah Knechtenhofer, secretary of the Kansas City Swiss Society, was at a watch party Saturday at KC Bier Co. The society has about 130 active members and celebrates Swiss culture and traditions.

"So far the watch parties have been a little bit more low-key," she said. "Sometimes the Swiss are a little bit more reserved, a little bit more quiet, but we're coming out strong for this game. It's a big deal."

Indeed, Saturday's watch party was proving to be more lively. About 100 Swiss fans packed the place — and a few brought their alphorns, which they played ahead of the match. Eventually, the venue became standing room only.

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A few alphorns showed up at a watch party for Team Switzerland on Saturday at KC Bier Co.

Timothy Tonkin is originally from Switzerland and drove to Kansas City from Springfield, Missouri, where he now lives, for the watch party.

"We wanted to be with other Swiss people because it's the first time since the '50s that Switzerland has made it to the quarterfinals, and it's a big deal," he said. "I wish I could go to the stadium, (but) the prices are crazy high."

Tonkin said he was sending updates on the match to friends back in Switzerland, and he was getting emotional being surrounded by so many Swiss fans.

"It almost feels like I'm back home," he said. "It's really special."

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KCUR 89.3

Timothy Tonkin, who lives in Springfield, Missouri, said he felt like he was at home in his native Switzerland during a watch party Saturday at KC Bier Co.

John Knechtenhofer, a member of the Kansas City Swiss Society and an alphorn player, is a dual U.S. and Swiss citizen. He said he was amazed at the energy of other Swiss fans who were cheering on the national team.

"We're going to rock this place tonight," he said at the watch party at KC Bier Co.

A tough heat to beat

The televised commentary during the Norway-England match on Saturday afternoon noting the apparent struggle of both teams to play in Miami heat rang equally true for Kansas City viewers as well.

Michael Hopkins, battalion chief of the Kansas City Fire Department and public information officer of the emergency operation center for FIFA, said his team saw 136 patients as of 7:30 p.m. Saturday, double the previous daily numbers, with a nearly 40% spike of those treated for heat-related symptoms.

“Today by far we had the most patient contact in the past 20 days,” Hopkins said. “Thankfully, most were seen on-site, and after 10 to 15 minutes of fluids, maybe an ice pack under the armpits and the groin in one of our tents with fans, they were ready to walk out.”

Chihiro Kai

Soccer fans watch a World Cup match on the big screen under a bright, hot sun Saturday at FIFA Fan Fest.

According to Hopkins, one contributing factor may have been the longer wait times to get into Fan Fest. He said the venue hit its maximum capacity of 25,000 people multiple times.

At 2:30 p.m., when the day hit its highest temperature with a heat index above 90 degrees, the general access line to the grounds stretched onto Main Street and beyond.

Even The All-American Rejects, who performed for a little over an hour in the middle of the afternoon, acknowledged the blistering heat from the stage.