KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The official FIFA World Cup 2026 host city poster for Kansas City was revealed over the weekend at the Sporting KC-St. Louis SC match at Children’s Mercy Park.
Artist Jadie Arnett, of Columbia, Missouri, said she drew inspiration from some of her first moments in Kansas City.
LINK | KSHB's 2026 FIFA World Cup coverage
“When I first moved to Kansas City, I went to a few KC Current games, and I noticed that a lot of the fans wear a scarf," Arnett said. "And each time they score, they wave and raise their scarves in the air to show support for the team that they love. And so I wanted that to be the canvas for my artwork.”
Her observation led her to name the work “Woven Together” because “Missouri and Kansas are woven together in Kansas City just like the knitting of a scarf,” Arnett told KC2026, the nonprofit overseeing host city efforts.
Beyond scarves, Arnett explained the piece also drew inspiration from Greek ceramic potter, “recognizing a connection between the athletes depicted in sport and the spirit of competition at the FIFA World Cup 2026,” per KC2026.
Arnett said after submitting her sketch and being selected as a top-five finalist, she was paired with a mentor to help guide her before the final submission.
“Jadie’s poster is dynamic. There are so many layers to it and so much storytelling involved,” Chandler Johnson, Arnett’s mentor, said in a news release.
The longer one observes the poster, the more Easter eggs they find, Arnett said. A few include a yellow brick road, a heart for KC being the heart of America, a barbecue sauce bottle and Wichita’s Keeper of the Plains.
“I actually had a harder time with people wanting more and more. And I was like, we gotta cut it back or it’s gonna get too busy,” Arnett joked.
Starting April 19, the poster will be available for purchase online.
Watch the unveiling of the TIFO made for the FIFA World Cup 2026 city poster from last Saturday's Sporting KC match at Children's Mercy Park in the video player below.
Each host city’s poster was crafted to reflect the “distinctive spirit and culture of its community while showcasing a shared passion for the beautiful game,” KC2026 said.
The thought of her work being recognized worldwide is still "unbelievable" to Arnett.
“I was so shocked and excited … speechless, really,” she said of when she learned she was the winner. “And now that it’s more sunk in, I’m just over the moon and really honored to have been chosen.”
More than 100 artists entered the KC contest. The top five finalists were awarded $1,000, and as the grand prize winner, Arnett will receive an additional $10,000.
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