FIFA Gets a Kick Out of LeRoid David’s Poster Design
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FIFA World Cup 2026 design by LeRoid David
LeRoid’s selection represents “an incredible milestone for Filipino American artists in the global stage,” according to a statement from BAHC. His “stunning design captures the essence of the Bay Area, featuring the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges while reflecting the region’s diversity and spirit.”
A second-generation Filipino American and San Francisco Bay Area native currently based in Sacramento, LeRoid’s impressive portfolio includes designs for the Giants, Warriors, 49ers, and Sharks.
“It still feels like a dream,” LeRoid says as he looks back on how it all started. A friend told him about the contest for the poster design in the latter part of 2024. “I’ve done sports before but couldn't think about the possibility of doing something for the World Cup. I'm always very intimidated by contests and just the scope of it.”
He overcame his hesitance to join the contest with the encouragement of his friends and family to “just give it a shot.” Out of the half a dozen designs he created, he “chose one with his gut” and submitted it in November.
In January 2025, he received a call that he was one of five finalists. “Wow, that was amazing in itself already, right?” And shortly thereafter, he received another call that he won the contest. “Wow, I look back and I know it wasn’t that long ago.”
LeRoid describes January as a “whirlwind month” since his wife’s grandfather, who had been a great family figure to him, passed away before Christmas. “We were dealing with the holidays and grief and getting the call from being a finalist to the chosen winner, I can tell you I was absolutely emotional.”
What followed was the hardest part– keeping his “mouth shut for about three months” that his design representing the San Francisco By Area won. The poster was finally unveiled on March 29.
LeRoid’s design is the seventh poster revealed out of 16 representing each of the host cities for FIFA World Cup 26: Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Toronto, San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, Seattle, Kansas City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Mexico City, New York/New Jersey, Vancouver, and Dallas. The 23rd FIFA World Cup will roll on June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Growing up in San Francisco, LeRoid has “always been fascinated by the landscape, especially, the skyscrapers, all the landmarks, and, of course, the bridges.” This connection with his surroundings is evident in his poster design with the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges as the centerpiece.
LeRoid David and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie (Photo by Bay Area Host Committee)
“When we’re driving through Golden Gate and Bay bridge we tend to look up at the towers. So, the perspective of the two bridges you see on the poster, that’s what I was trying to translate. It’s that worm’s eye view sort of perspective.”
But his poster design goes beyond just merely showcasing landmarks, which are also symbols of connectedness. “The piece is really about connectedness. The metaphor of bridging cities, cultures, people.”
The bridges emerging out of the fog with a football that doubles as the sun above them are also symbolic of players in the middle of a match. “It’s like a Dueling Bridges concept.”
The six birds in the design represent the six World Cup matches that will be hosted at the Levi’s Stadium.
LeRoid David and Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor (Photo by Bay Area Host Committee)
A self-described ‘80s kid, LeRoid did not have a computer when he was growing up. So, instead of browsing the internet or spending time on different apps on his smart phone, he watched a lot of TV; the Transformers and G.I. Joe were among his favorite shows. He also read a lot of books and newspapers, citing the Sunday comics as one of his influences.
“I read a lot of Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, and everything.” And he drew a lot. “I would draw constantly, draw my favorite cartoon characters and draw my own comic books. I’m still that kid from SF who’s always influenced by pop culture and comic books and cartoons.”
LeRoid’s mother, Helen Piamonte, would say that he has been drawing since he was three. She has kept many of the drawings he made as a kid. LeRoid credits her for being “very supportive of his passion” and his success as an illustrator and graphics designer.
“I look back and everything that I'm doing now; it all kind of makes sense. Having my design win, it made me reflect a lot on my journey in some ways. And so, I really credit my mom for supporting what I've done since I was a kid.”
LeRoid David and family with San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan (Photo by Bay Area Host Committee)
His passion for drawing continued when he was in elementary school and in high school as an illustrator for his school’s newspaper and yearbook. “I would be that that one kid in the class who could draw. I really enjoyed drawing for people. That was something I wanted to pursue. I initially wanted to be a comic book artist. One of my dreams was to get into comic books or animation.”
LeRoid loves sports. He watched a lot of sports from baseball to football and collected a lot of sports cards. He tried playing basketball, volleyball, and softball but admits that he was not good at any of it. “I never played competitively. I really tried. From elementary to high school I was always the last kid picked.”
He channeled this love but lack of sports talent into what he does best. “I grew up during the Jordan era. Jordan was one of my favorite players to draw. I'm a Giants and Niners fan, so I would draw my favorite athletes from those teams. I enjoyed drawing players, I’d draw my own sports cards in a way.”
After high school, LeRoid moved around the Bay Area a lot and went to City College of San Francisco and Los Medanos College in Pittsburg. “I really got into graphic design during my community college years.” After community college, he transferred to San Francisco State University where he earned a degree in graphic design.
LeRoid’s parents split up when he was a very young, and he grew up with his mother as a single parent. He did not really know what “Filipino” was until later. Like many American born Filipinos, his first exposure to his culture and heritage was through food.
“I didn't learn Tagalog or Ilocano. My mom came when she was young and just spoke English all the time at home. My grandmother would speak Ilocano. I didn't understand it except when she cursed at me.”
His grandmother used to live in the San Lorenzo Ruiz Center, an apartment complex with a majority of Filipino residents, in the South of Market in San Francisco in an area where the streets are named after Philippine heroes: Rizal, Lapu Lapu, Bonifacio, Mabini, and Tandang Sora.
On the side of the apartment building facing Lapu Lapu street is a 90-foot mural called “Ang Lipi ni Lapu Lapu” (Descendants of Lapu Lapu) that chronicles Philippine and Filipino American history through its heroes and heroines. LeRoid saw the mural for the first time while visiting his grandmother as a kid. It piqued his interest.
“That’s when I became curious about what our history was. And, over the years, I would do my own research. But when I went to City College, a good friend of mine taught me more about Filipino American history, most importantly, Filipino American history in the Bay area.”
Since then, LeRoid has exposed himself to Filipino culture, becoming involved in the community where he feels a deep sense of belonging. “It really is something I’ve never felt before, a sense of community, a sense of pride, and just that interconnectedness.”
This sense of rootedness is something that he carries with him every day. He does what he can to instill this in his children.
He finds ways to include and create within the Filipino community in his projects. He co-produced and illustrated the 2003 movie Lumpia and its sequel, Lumpia with a Vengeance. He has also created illustrations for the Lumpia Company in Oakland, as well as logos for Filipino-owned businesses such as Ube Area.
The bridges emerging out of the fog with a football that doubles as the sun above them are also symbolic of players in the middle of a match.
LeRoid chokes up a bit looking back at how far he has come. “It makes me reflect a lot and very grateful for the people and community in my life because they have been such a big influence on me. My mom being supportive of me, my family. I think about the artists I’ve looked up to. Having lived in SF and moved around the bay, I would always try to find myself connected with the Filipino community. And now that I reside in Sacramento, I do the same as well.”
Prior to winning the World Cup poster contest, LeRoid, now in his late forties, thought he had already hit his bucket list with all his past projects with his favorite sports teams. “But it really doesn't matter what age you are as long as you still carry and continue your passion. You can do a lot of great things.”
He hopes to inspire people in the community to pursue their passion just as he was inspired by other artists and community members. “As a kid, I enjoyed drawing for people because I would see how happy they would get. And I see what this piece is and how it affects others. If you know that your work is making a positive impact, then you’re on the right path.”
Wilfred Galila is a San Francisco Bay Area-based multimedia artist and writer.
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