On April 17 in front of Russ Hall, the FIFA World Cup countdown clock from the Kansas Department of Commerce was installed. Part of the Pitt State women’s soccer team came for the moment.
“It’s just really cool to have something on campus that connects us to the biggest sporting event in the world,” Lucca Munhoz said, the assistant women’s soccer coach. “Soccer is global and having that countdown here at Pittsburg State University makes it feel real for everyone in our community.”
Explorer Crawford County contacted by the Kansas Department of Commerce about the clock. They asked to have Pittsburg as a host city for the World Cup countdown clock, which is going on a road trip around the state. Will be in Pittsburg for a couple weeks.
Sarah Runyon, executive director for Explorer Crawford County, was there when the clock was installed.
“I think this year is the year of soccer,” Runyon said. “I am really excited about how our community has come together around this sport. Not only do we have a new soccer program here at the university, with the women’s soccer team at Pitt State, but we’ve got new soccer fields coming to our community soon. Probably as soon as next year, we will have a place for youth tournaments for youth leagues. So, it is a cool time to put some focus on our community and on our state.”
The FIFA World Cup is a large event. In 2025 average attendance was 39,557 for 63 matches that summer in the U.S, according to the Sports Business Journal.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 is the biggest sporting event in the world, no question,” Munhoz said. “It brings the whole world together, different cultures, different styles, everything. Being this close to it is important and something people here should be excited about.”
The 2026 World Cup will start on June 11 and some of the games will be held in Kansas City, Missouri at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. With the games being around two hours from Pittsburg, it could highlight businesses in Pittsburg.
“I know that there are local businesses that will probably do some watch parties and some different events,” Runyon said. “We want to use this opportunity to highlight some of our great businesses and maybe bring some traffic down to Pittsburg during the World Cup. So, we hope that folks will use that opportunity to come to Crawford County to eat, shop and stay.”
The world cup could bring more attention to soccer in the area, Munhoz said.
“With games in Kansas City, you’re going to see more people paying attention to soccer around here,” Munhoz said. “More kids playing, more interest overall, and that helps programs like ours grow too.”
Moments like this countdown clock and the World Cup can be inspiring too, Munhoz said.
“I think moments like this are huge for growing soccer in the U.S. It inspires people, especially the younger generation, and we’re excited to be part of that,” Munhoz added.
With the soccer players coming to take a picture with the clock, it shows their passion and excitement, Runyon said.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to highlight the great program that Pitt State has and to shine a light on the awesome athletes,” Runyon said. “So, that makes it exciting, especially when so many of them come out for the photo and video. It shows how excited they are and how passionate they are about the sport.”