KC soccer enters a new coaching era
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Kansas City soccer is entering a new era in 2026 with the hiring of new leaders at both the KC Current and Sporting KC.
Why it matters: With the Current's record-setting season in 2025 and Kansas City's World Cup host status this summer, all eyes are on KC soccer.
- Plus, each coach is facing very different, very big expectations.
KC Current
The Current just won the first NWSL Shield in club history, and former MLS and USMNT standout Chris Armas now has to turn regular-season dominance into a championship run as the club's new head coach.
Zoom in: During last week's introductory press conference, Armas called himself obsessive about film and said watching past matches sold him on the Current's style.
- "I was analyzing," he told Axios, adding that he watched enough to feel like "a qualified video analyst."
- He loved what he saw: "In my dreams, they have the ball, they can score every time. And every time they lose it, they get it back."
State of play: Sporting director Vlatko Andonovski said the club wanted community, "not a reset," after a historic season.
- Armas echoed that, saying his first step is a deep dive into "training, match plans, how we present video meetings" before changing anything.
What they're saying: Armas framed the job as details, pressure and a little hunger.
- "Pressure equals expectations," he said. "This is what we sign up for."
- He also offered the simplest blueprint: "Can we get 1% better at everything we do? Yes."
Sporting KC
New head coach Raphael "Rapha" Wicky has his work cut out for him. In 2025, Sporting KC finished at the bottom of the Western Conference.
Zoom in: Wicky, who led the top-level Swiss team BSC Young Boys to major titles, said Tuesday he wants to boost possession, ball skills and scoring chances.
What they're saying: Wicky described his gameplay as "dominating the game with the ball," defending forward and playing with intensity.
- He added that they will quickly bring in new players.
State of play: Sporting also has a new club president and manager, David Lee.
- Previously, longtime head coach Peter Vermes also served as the club manager.
The bottom line: The new coaches will be in charge of how KC soccer evolves over the coming years.