The art of the beautiful game
May 13, 2026 This summer, long after the referee’s final whistle fades, Dave Murray’s World Cup moment will live on. As the illustrator of Toronto’s official host-city poster, Murray’s iconic imagery will take its place in the FIFA archives alongside memorabilia from soccer’s greatest moments.
The accomplishment is a natural progression in a career that has placed Murray’s work at the centre of some of the biggest stages in sports. From the World Series to the Four Nations Face-Off and the Stanley Cup, the 2009 Honours Bachelor of Illustration graduate’s love of sports is a driving force in his career. Murray recognizes just how fortunate he is to have a built a career around his passion, and he encourages his students to do the same as a part-time faculty member at Sheridan.
“I think about that a lot when I talk to my students,” he says. “The most important thing I try to impress upon them is not being afraid of change. Allow yourself to explore and try different things in pursuit of a style that feels natural and true to you.”
Murray’s been living that advice since his own student days. For a class assignment, he created typographic maps of Toronto neighbourhoods that revealed their unique identities. When the work was featured in the Toronto Star, it generated enough interest that Murray realized the maps could be sold. He used Sheridan’s textile studio to produce prints and, drawing on business skills gained during his co-op placement, sold them in local shops and at craft shows.
“That was my break,” he recalls. “The One-of-a-Kind Show was huge for me that year and gave me the push I needed to really focus on building my portfolio.”
After graduation, Murray spent several years working in editorial illustration. During one NHL playoff season, he had an idea: sketch one player from each team and release the drawings on social media. The campaign caught the league’s attention just as it was looking to move away from photography and toward more creative illustration in its marketing.
“I’m a Habs fan, and I’ve seen my work in the Bell Centre. This past year, I saw it in the Rogers Centre during the World Series. Now it’s going to be everywhere with the World Cup. I can’t believe it.”
Those illustrations led to opportunities to create the key art for marquee events such as the 2022 Heritage Classic and last year’s Four Nations Face-Off. He also caught the attention of Major League Baseball. In 2024 and 2025, Murray created the official art for the MLB postseason and World Series – a contract that became personal for the lifelong Blue Jays fan when the team reached the Fall Classic.
“Being able to work with the NHL is a dream come true,” he says. “I’m a Habs fan, and I’ve seen my work in the Bell Centre. This past year, I saw it in the Rogers Centre during the World Series. Now it’s going to be everywhere with the World Cup. I can’t believe it. I feel really lucky.”
With that resume, it’s no surprise Murray jumped at the chance to design Toronto’s World Cup poster. He tapped into his neo-cubist, angular style to respond to a unique challenge in the call for proposals: artists couldn’t rely on common short hands for Toronto, so the CN Tower or skyline weren’t options. Murray responded with a larger-than-life player towering over the Lake Ontario shoreline, set against a checked pattern representing the city’s neighbourhoods.
“I included the grid pattern as a complement to the geometric aspect of my artwork and to convey the idea of the city as a quilt made up of many people and pieces,” he explains. “They all come together to form the whole concept of Toronto.”
Chosen from 552 entries in early 2025, Murray’s illustration is now weeks away from appearing on buildings and merchandise across the city. As kickoff approaches, he’s still adjusting to the idea of being part of such a historic moment and hopes his work reminds people how unifying sport and art can be.
“There's something about the atmosphere and energy that sport brings, that I think really connects with people - and it's not just people who are into art and illustration. It's people who live here who like sport and they like to see creativity involved with it. It connects with everyone.”
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