Philly’s 2026 FIFA World Cup organizers will reveal the winning host city poster design next Wednesday at the Philadelphia Flower Show, through a floral interpretation of the final design.
The winning artist will be revealed by Philadelphia Soccer 2026 CEO Meg Kane, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society President Matt Rader and a representative from the competition’s judging panel, which included experts “from across Pennsylvania’s arts and culture community.”
“Pennsylvania is home to incredible art and artists — and I’m so excited that millions of people from around the world will get to see that firsthand when the FIFA World Cup comes to Philadelphia,” said Pa. First Lady Lori Shapiro, who was one of the judges.
Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the group planning the city’s part as one of the 16 World Cup host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, launched the competition last October. The World Cup has had an official poster since its first edition in 1930. It has often been the work of local artists and designers — sometimes determined through a competition — and meant to evoke the style and character of the nations hosting the tournament.
City and stadium posters were also a feature in past tournaments, but this is the first time each host city has the chance to create its own poster, and Philly will be the first venue revealing its unique design.
From the more than 400 artists and designers across the Commonwealth who submitted their portfolios, 10 finalists were selected to create a poster design. Six were based in the Philadelphia area: James Geron Hoy, Cindy Lozito, Alloyius Mcilwaine, Michael Meurer, “A Philly Christmas Special” album artist Hannah Westerman, and Mark Willis.
The finalists from elsewhere in Pennsylvania were Patrick Everett from Braddock, Nicholas McClintock from Pittsburgh, Kimberly Ramirez from Allentown and Tom Whalen from Lancaster.
“All 10 of these artists are immensely talented — they help tell our collective story here in Pennsylvania of tolerance, freedom and progress through their work, and I’m proud to be part of this distinguished group who will help choose the official host city poster for Philadelphia,” said Shapiro.
As well as having their work visually represent the city’s part in the soccer’s global showcase, the winning designer gets $7,500 and promotional opportunities ahead of the tournament.
The World Cup involves so much more than having soccer stars compete for their nations until one team is crowned champion. New (and expensive) uniforms will be created for each team by sports brands. FIFA, Coca-Cola and other sponsors will release official anthems. Mascots will be revealed and the official posters and artwork will be chosen.
“Designing a FIFA World Cup poster is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and to be able to put such a personal touch on our poster, given the vibrant arts and culture community in our Commonwealth, is an opportunity we embrace,” said host city executive Kane.
Philadelphia Soccer 2026 and FIFA also revealed today that DJ Jazzy Jeff will contribute a Philly-influenced “Sonic ID” to an official 16-track playlist for the tournament, which will be fully released March 13.
Next year, Philly’s Lincoln Financial Field will host five group stage games of the World Cup on June 14, 19, 22, 25 and 27. The Linc will also have a round-of-16 match on July 4, coinciding with the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations.
The tournament itself runs from June 11 to July 19. Forty-eight national teams will compete in 104 matches, a massive expansion from the previous tournament in Qatar in 2022, which had 32 teams competing over 64 games. The tournament opener will be in Mexico City, while the final will be at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
This year, the Linc will warm up for 2026’s soccer showcase with eight games of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup — which will involve the world’s best football clubs, as opposed to national teams — including a Fourth of July knockout-round match.
