Kansas City has hosted some of the greatest athletes to walk this planet. The listed of all-time greats includes players like Michael Jordan, Lionel Messi, LeBron James, Tom Brady, Babe Ruth and Pele.

Attendees have sat mesmerized to watch these extraordinary athletes after viewing their talent for years from afar. The opportunity for area sports fans to see some of the greatest athletes of all time grace Kansas City’s grounds is something unforgettable.

Some iconic athletes have played for Kansas City teams such as Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Mickey Mantle, Nate Archibald, Joe Montana, Tony Gonzalez, Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. Here is the list of the top athletes to play in Kansas City for non-Kansas City teams.

Soccer

• Pelé – The original GOAT of soccer played one game in Kansas City for Santos FC. It was an exhibition game against the Kansas City Spurs on July 4, 1968 in which Santos won 4-1 with Pelé putting on a show with a goal and two assists in front of a crowd of 19,296 at Municipal Stadium.
• David Beckham – The first major signing in MLS history, Beckham saw the good and bad of Kansas City’s MLS franchise in his three trips to the City of Fountains. His first visit came on September 12, 2008 when the KC Wizards moved the high-demand game from Community America Ballpark to Arrowhead Stadium as a crowd of 26,113 saw the Wizards beat Beckham and the Galaxy 2-0. Beckham returned to KC in 2009, but this time playing at Community America Ballpark to play in front of a sellout crowd of just 11,906 as his 33rd minute assist helped the Galaxy to a 1-1 draw. Beckham’s final visit to Kansas City came in 2011 as a sold-out crowd of 20,512 at Livestrong Sporting Park witnessed a 2-2 draw as Beckham got another assist.
• Paul Scholes – Played all 90 minutes in a losing effort for Manchester United in an exhibition on July 25, 2010. The newly crowned UEFA Champions League winners lost to the Kansas City Wizards 2-1 in front of a Wizards record of 52,424 fans at Arrowhead Stadium.
• Ryan Giggs – The Welch legend joined Scholes in playing all 90 minutes for Manchester United against the Wizards. Giggs picked up a yellow card for unsporting behavior in the 33rd minute of the match.
• Thierry Henry – The French legend played a total of four games in Kansas City. He played three times as a member of the New York Red Bulls against Sporting KC between 2011 and 2014 where his team won one, lost one, and tied one. The Arsenal legend received a red card in his first game in Kansas City in 2011 and recorded an assist in 2014 against Sporting. Henry also captained the 2013 MLS All-Stars at Sporting Park in a 3-1 loss to AS Roma on July 31, 2013.
• Robbie Keane – The Irish great scored two goals in four games in Kansas City between 2012 and 2016 as a member of the LA Galaxy. Despite helping the Galaxy to three MLS Cup titles, Keane was on the losing end three times in KC before helping the Galaxy earn a 2-2 draw in 2016 against Sporting KC.
• Francesco Totti – Graced the Sporting Park pitch to play 87 minutes for AS Roma in the MLS All-Star Game on July 31, 2013. Totti helped the Italian side prevail in a comfortable 3-1 win in Kansas City, KS in front of 21,275 fans.
• Kaká – The 2007 Ballon d’Or winner and 2002 World Cup winner with Brazil played one time at Children’s Mercy Park as his Orlando City lost 2-1 to Sporting KC on May 15, 2016 in front of a crowd of 19,080. Kaká played all 90 minutes as Orlando City captain.
• Steven Gerrard – The Liverpool legend made one appearance in Kansas City as a member of the LA Galaxy. It came on October 25, 2015 as the Galaxy suffered a 2-1 loss to Sporting KC. Gerrard played all 90 minutes in front of an attendance of 19,422.
• Frank Lampard – The Chelsea man made one trip to Kansas City as a member of New York City FC on July 10, 2016. While Lampard did score a goal 14 minutes in, it was not enough as Sporting won 3-1 in front of a crowd of 19,881.
• Andrea Pirlo – The Italian’s lone visit to Kansas City came on July 10, 2016 in a 3-1 loss to Sporting KC. He played all 90 minutes for New York City FC.
• Didier Drogba – One of the greatest African players of all time made one appearance in Kansas City. While he spent a couple of seasons in MLS with the Montreal Impact, the only time he played in Kansas City came as a member of USL’s Phoenix Rising on June 18, 2017 at Swope Soccer Village. Drogba scored twice, including a game-tying penalty kick in the 89th minute, to salvage a 2-2 draw against the Swope Park Rangers in front of 1,405 fans.
• David Villa – The World Cup winner made two visits to Kansas City as a member of New York City FC. He played 83 minutes in a 3-1 loss on July 10, 2016 before contributing an assist in a 2-0 win in front of 20,831 on March 4, 2018.
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Zlatan made his presence felt in two visits to Kansas City as a member of the LA Galaxy. He had two goals and an assist as the Swede helped the Galaxy to a 1-1 tie against Sporting KC on October 6, 2018. His second visit came on May 29, 2019 as the Galaxy won 2-0.
• Gareth Bale – The five-time Champions League winner scored his first of three MLS goals at Children’s Mercy Park and played just 25 minutes in his only Kansas City visit on July 23, 2022. Bale’s goal 83rd minute strike put LAFC up 2-0 in front of 20,142 in attendance.
• Lionel Messi – Known as the GOAT of soccer to many around the globe. The Argentine and Barcelona legend set a Missouri soccer attendance record with 72,610 when his Inter Miami beat Sporting KC in front of a sold-out Arrowhead Stadium. He played all 90 minutes and sparkled in two major moments as he scored a goal and assisted on April 13, 2024.
• Luis Suarez – Uruguay’s all-time leading scorer has played twice at Arrowhead Stadium. He joined Messi on the pitch for all 90 minutes and scored the game-winner on April 13, 2024. He returned on July 1, 2024 with Uruguay as a substitute in the 89th minute in a 1-0 win over the U.S. in front of a crowd of 55,460 in a Copa América match. His legendary status mostly comes from his time with Liverpool and Barcelona.
• Sergio Busquets – Another Barcelona legend that joined Messi and Suarez at Arrowhead in 2024. Busquets played all 90 minutes to help Miami to earn the victory.
• Jordi Alba – Last icon of the Inter Miami crew that beat Sporting KC at Arrowhead in 2024. The Barcelona great went off injured after pulling up lame on a downfield run in the 78th minute.
• United States National Teams – Kansas City has also hosted numerous international games which have featured international stars such as Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard from the men’s side and Abby Wambach, Carli Lloyd and Mia Hamm from the women’s side. The majority of them have also had additional games in Kansas City at the club level.

Football

• Tom Brady – The seven-time Super Bowl winner played four games at Arrowhead Stadium with the New England Patriots between 2004 and 2019. Brady went 2-2, including the Patriots’ 2019 AFC Championship win in overtime in front of 77,034 fans.
• Peyton Manning – One of the all-time great quarterbacks, Peyton Manning loved most of his trips to Kansas City. In eight visits to Arrowhead Stadium between 2000 and 2015, he went 7-1. Manning went 3-1 with the Indianapolis Colts and won all four games with the Denver Broncos.
• Drew Brees – Another great quarterback, Brees made twice in six trips to Arrowhead Stadium between 2002 and 2016. He went 1-3 early in his career with the San Diego Chargers before going 1-1 with the New Orleans Saints.
• Barry Sanders – The legendary Detroit Lions running back played one time in Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium. Sanders ran for 90 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown in a 43-24 loss to the Chiefs.
• Jerry Rice – The legendary wide receiver won once in four game at Arrowhead Stadium. Rice’s first visit to KC was his only visit as a member of the San Francisco 49ers in 1994, followed by three visits in the early 2000s with the Oakland Raiders.
• Rob Gronkowski – Perhaps the greatest tight end never to play for the Chiefs, Gronk played twice at Arrowhead Stadium with the New England Patriots. His 2014 Arrowhead debut was a blowout loss to the Chiefs where he scored a touchdown with just two catches all game. When the Patriots finally returned five years later, the Patriots won the AFC Champion in overtime.

Basketball

• Bill Russell – Before becoming an 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, Russell developed his championship-winning mentality at the University of San Francisco. In his final year with the San Francisco Dons in 1955, Russell led his team with 24 points and nine rebounds to a Final Four victory over Colorado at Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium. The next day, Russell recorded a double-double with 23 points and 25 rebounds to claim the program’s first national championship at Municipal Auditorium with a win over La Salle.
• Wilt Chamberlain – The University of Kansas legend returned to the area to play twice at Municipal Auditorium for the reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers as they beat the Kansas City-Omaha Kings both times in the 1972-73 season. The 7’1″ center recorded double-doubles in both games, totaling 34 points and 39 rebounds in two games.
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – NBA’s all-time field goal leader recorded 19 double-doubles and went .500 in his 28 visits to Kansas City between 1972 and 1985 with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. He went 4-3 with Milwaukee and won just one of his first 10 visits as a Laker. By the time the Kings relocated to Sacramento in 1985, Abdul-Jabbar had tallied 681 points, 309 rebounds, and 95 assists in Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium and Kemper Arena.
• Larry Bird – The legendary Boston Celtics forward played six games with three wins and three losses in Kansas City between 1979 and 1984 against the Kansas City Kings. His KC debut came in his rookie season at Municipal Auditorium, where Bird grabbed 14 rebounds and scored four points in a losing effort. He went on to tally a total of 127 points, 70 rebounds and 37 assists in games played in Kansas City. He recorded three double-doubles at Kemper Arena.
• Magic Johnson – Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson played 13 games in Kansas City with the Los Angeles Lakers between 1979 and 1985, going 10-3 against the Kings at Municipal Auditorium and Kemper Arena. He recorded four triple-doubles, including one in the Lakers’ 1984 Western Conference First Round Game 3 win, and four additional double-doubles.
• Dominique Wilkins – The Atlanta Hawks legend lost all three games in Kansas City across three seasons from 1983-1984. Wilkins scored 63 points in 108 minutes against the Kings on the hardwood of Kemper Arena.
• Michael Jordan – Before No. 23 became the most recognized jersey in basketball, Jordan played once at Kemper Arena in 1984. Rookie MJ and the Chicago Bulls beat the Kansas City Kings 109-104 in the Kings’ final season before moving to Sacramento. In his fourth game in the NBA, Jordan logged 36 minutes in Kansas City, leading all scorers with 25 points and five assists.
• John Stockton – The 6’1″ Utah Jazz guard went 1-2 in three games during his rookie campaign against the Kings at Kemper Arena in 1984-85. Coming off the bench each game, Stockton tallied 12 points and 15 assists with 57 minutes on the court.
• Hakeem Olajuwon – Olajuwon went 2-1 with the Houston Rockets in Kansas City’s Kemper Arena during the 1984-85 season before the Kings moved to Sacramento. He recorded double-doubles in all three visits to Kemper Arena with a total of 82 points, 41 rebounds and 14 blocks.
• Kevin Durant – Joined a cast of Oklahoma City Thunder stars including James Harden and Russell Westbrook who played a preseason game at Sprint Center on October 8, 2010. They lost to the Miami Heat 103-96 in front of a crowd of 18,222.
• Lebron James – Lebron has played a total of three games in Kansas City. All three were preseason exhibitions at then-Sprnt Center with the Miami Heat in preseason exhibitions between 2010 and 2013. .2010 preseason 105-89 win over OKC in front of 18,222; 2012 preseason 101-94 loss to Washington in front of 16,143; 2013 preseason 86-75 win over Charlotte in front of 18,770

Hockey

• Bobby Orr – Played two games in Kansas City as a Boston Bruin. Collected a two-minute penalty and an assist in a 6-2 Bruins win over the Kansas City Scouts in a regular-season contest at Kemper Arena on December 10, 1974. Returned to Kemper Arena on January 27, 1975 as he played in a 3-3 tie between the Bruins and Scouts. Injury prevented him from playing in KC in the 1975-76 season.
• Guy Lafleur – Played two times in Kansas City during the 1975-76 NHL season. He tallied an assist during his first visit to Kemper Arena on December 10, 1975 as the Kansas City Scouts beat Lafleur and the Montreal Canadiens 6-5. Lafleur helped the Canadiens to a 3-1 win over the Scouts on February 25, 1976.
• Gordie Howe – Mr. Hockey most likely played numerous times in Kansas City during his rookie campaign with the Omaha Knights of the AHL in 1945-46. Howe and the Knights played the Kansas City Pla-Mors often, but no records show full box scores.