On Thursday, April 3rd, the Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 Local Organizing Committee announced the winner of the Official FIFA World Cup 26™ Seattle Host City Poster contest.
A nine-person panel of volunteers narrowed forty entries to four finalists, each from a different city in Washington.
The poster is one of the official 16 posters to be unveiled over the next month, as each Host City for the FIFA World Cup 26™ will reveal artwork to their region to celebrate the tournament.
During Seattle’s unveiling Thursday, attendees heard from the winning designer, Shogo Ota, and celebrated the community contest that saw dozens of Washington artists share their portfolios, concepts, and designs to capture the region’s vibrant culture, history, and passion
for soccer.
“I am so excited for visitors and residents alike to experience the good energy of this event in beautiful Seattle,” said Shogo Ota, winning artist of Seattle FWC26 Host City Poster Contest. “My design highlights our beautiful landscapes and that we welcome all people. I hope people make good memories while they’re here, and I also hope people find the small details in the poster that say so much about who we are in Seattle and Washington.”
Ota, hailing originally from Japan, has called the Pacific Northwest home for more than a decade. Shogo Ota owns and operates Tireman Studio in Camano Island, Washington.
“The City of Seattle is proud to be one of 16 host cities in North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup games, and even more proud to welcome the world to the Pacific Northwest region,” said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. “We are hard at work preparing to ensure the region is ready to both host a once-in-a-lifetime experience for locals and visitors from across the globe and showcase the rich history, vibrant culture, and beauty of our region and our communities. This poster is a reflection of who we are and what makes our region special.”
“Our poster contest received so many wonderful entries from across Washington” said Leo Flor, Chief Legacy Officer of Seattle FWC26. “We love how Shogo’s design includes fun local Seattle references, including some of our iconic arches like the historic Chinatown Gate, the Pacific Science Center, and the Stadium, all under the watch of our most Sacred Mountain. We’re thrilled to share with the world our Seattle design and the community behind it.”
Seattle’s official poster will be shared internationally as a lasting symbol of Seattle’s role in the world’s biggest sporting event, showcasing our city’s unique identity to fans across the globe.
This is the first time ever that a FIFA World Cup has worked with local artists specific to each Host City to design each location’s poster.
To learn more about the Seattle poster contest and three runners-up, please visit http://www.seattlefwc26.org.
Fans can visit FIFAWorldCup.com to view posters for all 16 host cities, discover the story behind each design, and learn more about the artists . Fans will also be able to immediately own these pieces of FIFA World Cup™ history, as posters will be available for purchase
on the site on April 19th. Additional merchandise, inspired by the posters, will be available in the months ahead.
April 4, 2025
Everett Sports