Toronto Unveils Official Host City Poster for FIFA World Cup 2026™
TORONTO – The City of Toronto has officially unveiled its FIFA World Cup 2026™ Host City poster, marking a key milestone in its preparations to welcome the world’s biggest sporting event. The poster, designed by Toronto-based illustrator Dave Murray, was revealed today at the Toronto Archives.
Selected from over 550 submissions, Murray’s artwork captures the energy, diversity, and global significance of the tournament through a bold, geometric illustration. The design features a dynamic soccer player in motion, adorned with a stylized red maple leaf and set against a background that blends Toronto’s street grid with the lines of a football pitch and planetary hemispheres—a visual metaphor for Toronto as “the world in a city.”
Murray, whose past work includes illustrations for the 2024 MLB Postseason and 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, brings a signature blend of cubism, deco, and futurism to the piece. His poster incorporates elements of the city’s identity, such as the waterfront and downtown skyline, with the soccer ball placed over the location of Toronto Stadium.
City of Toronto unveils FIFA World Cup 2026™ Host City poster by local artist
News release: https://t.co/bIWJUKFS5u pic.twitter.com/1Q2DZ6SOX6
— City of Toronto 🇨🇦 (@cityoftoronto) March 28, 2025
“It’s a powerful representation of Toronto’s spirit and its place on the global stage,” said Mayor Olivia Chow in a statement. “This is more than just a poster—it’s a moment that unites our communities and leaves a lasting legacy.”
The unveiling is part of a broader initiative by FIFA to release individual posters for each of the 16 Host Cities, a first in World Cup history. Toronto’s poster will be showcased to fans at two major sporting events this weekend: the Toronto Raptors game on Friday, March 28, and Toronto FC’s home match against Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday, March 29.
A five-member jury, including artist Mitchell F. Chan, designer Dominic Ayre, and Canadian soccer legend Dwayne De Rosario, selected Murray’s design following a competitive process. The final poster will be preserved in the Toronto Archives and made available for purchase beginning April 19.
Toronto is set to host six matches during the tournament, including the historic opening men’s match on Canadian soil on June 12, 2026, and a round of 32 match on July 2. Support from the federal and provincial governments will help enhance infrastructure and event planning in the lead-up to the tournament.
Posters from other Host Cities are being revealed every two days until April 17 at FIFAWorldCup.com. The official tournament-wide poster will be unveiled at a later date.
For more on Toronto’s Host City plans and to view the poster, visit toronto.ca/fifaworldcup26.
