The Kid Who Never Stoped Dreaming
The Opportunity of a Lifetime.
Almost a year ago, I received an email telling me that my design had not been selected as the official FIFA World Cup host city poster for Seattle.
I was disappointed and a little discouraged. This felt like my chance to combine my two greatest passions—soccer and design—and create something for the world to see.
A few months later, I came across the FIFA World Cup Juneteenth Match Day Design Contest hosted by FIFA World Cup Seattle.
Make it stand out!
This was my window of opportunity!
I took a leap of faith and started exploring ideas.
At first, I found myself asking:
• What does it mean to host a World Cup match on Juneteenth?
• Where should I look for inspiration?
• How do you visually represent Juneteenth while honoring its significance?
The answer I kept coming back to was simple:
Representation.
Bringing Culture to the World Stage!
Much of my work is inspired by my Eritrean identity and the projects I've created to celebrate Eritrean culture. Through that work, I've seen how powerful it is when people feel seen. 🇪🇷
There is something special about seeing your story, your community, and your experiences reflected back to you.
That became the foundation of this design.
At its core, the piece is about identity, connection, and belonging.
I wanted to create something that honored those themes while also celebrating Seattle.
The Magic Behind the Design
Every element was intentional:
⚽ The hands holding the soccer ball symbolize the unity that the World Cup brings.
🏙️ The Seattle skyline represents a city welcoming the world.
🌲 The landscape highlights Puget Sound, evergreen trees, and Mount Rainier.
❤️🖤💚 The Juneteenth flag blankets the city, representing freedom, resilience, and progress.
🍃 The cedar leaf pays tribute to the Pacific Northwest.
It was a full circle moment because my first job was a ticket taker at CenturyLink Field (now Lumen Field). I remember watching crowds pour through Pioneer Square on match days. At halftime, I would rush to grab tickets marked EOG—End of Game—so I could catch the final moments of the match. 🎟️
This week, I walked through those same gates in a completely different way.
I joined team USA as we marched through Seattle, holding my Juneteenth match day scarf high in the air.
I entered the stadium where I once worked not as an employee, but as a fan.
I saw people wearing my design.
People stopped to take photos and share their stories.
For the first time, I wasn't just attending a World Cup event.
I was part of creating it.
Most importantly, I got to share the experience with my family.
I'm grateful to Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 for creating this incredible opportunity for black designers to be seen.
Thanks to everyone who made this opportunity possible.
Moments like these remind me why I create. 🙏🏾
